Creamy chicken and leek pies with puff pastry

An epicurean adventure to: The United Kingdom

Looking for comfort food that's both easy to make and irresistibly delicious? Enter creamy chicken and leek pies!

What makes these pies truly special is a little sprinkle of magic - parmesan cheese. The parmesan adds richness and so much depth of flavour to the creamy filling.

We also use shop-bought roast chicken thighs and puff pastry, making these pies a doddle to make. It makes this recipe perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or a cosy snack on a cold night. They're also great for lunch boxes, picnics or a meal on the go.

Where do chicken and leek pies come from?

Chicken and leek pies are as British as Big Ben and a cuppa tea. They have been a staple in the land of kings and queens for donkey's years, found in pubs and kitchens across the kingdom.

So, next time you fancy a taste of Britain, try our creamy leek and chicken pie recipe and be transported to the rolling hills of the English countryside, where cosy pubs and hearty fare reign supreme.

If you love using puff pastry like we do, also check out these easy chicken sausage rolls or this British classic Cheese and onion pasties.

Fast facts - United Kingdom

Location	The United Kingdom (UK) is located in North-western Europe, comprising four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Language	In addition to English and Welsh, the United Kingdom is home to a rich linguistic diversity with twelve other indigenous languages spoken, including Gaelic, Cornish, Manx, Scots and three sign languages. English stands as the most widely spoken language, while Cornish is among the least commonly used.
Population	Circa 66.8 million people.
Trivia	The typical food in the UK includes roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, but interestingly, the Brits have chosen Chicken Tikka as their national dish, even though it originates from India.

Chicken

We use a pack of shop-bought roast chicken thighs. You can of course roast your own.

Thighs give the best flavour and texture, but you can also use chicken breasts or drumsticks. We would highly recommend leaving the skins on for the ultimate roast chicken flavour.

Depending on the size of the chicken pieces you use, you should use no less than 300g of chopped chicken for this recipe. This is the weight after any bones have been removed.

This should also help to gauge how much chicken to use if you're using leftover roast chicken from your Sunday lunch.

Leeks

The 120g needed for this recipe roughly equals one leek.

Double cream

Double cream, or heavy cream, provides the ultimate creaminess, but you can also use light cream or whipping cream.

Thyme

Can be replaced with the same amount of dried thyme, or, use your favourite herbs that pair well with chicken, like parsley or tarragon.

If you are using parsley, up the quantity to one tablespoon of chopped parsley.

Parmesan

The secret ingredient. The addition of parmesan takes these pies to the next level, so please don't skip it!

Puff pastry

Shop-bought fresh or frozen will give you a lovely flaky pastry with very little effort. Look for the puff pastry in sheet format, rolled up in paper and packaged in an elongated box.

In the UK the standard packet of most brands weigh around 375g. You need around this weight mark. A few grams over or under won't matter much.

Some popular brands are:

Jus-Rol - United Kingdom

Pampas - Australia

Today - South Africa

Pepperidge Farm - USA.

Just make sure it's puff pastry and not shortcrust pastry.

Step-by-step guide

To make the filling

• Debone and chop the chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces, leaving the skin on. Ensure you have at least 300g of meat after deboning. Set aside.

• Slice the leek thinly into coins of about 5mm/0.2" thickness. You can use both the green and white parts.

• Heat the knob of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and fry for 2-2½ minutes.
  
  Keep the heat medium, you don't want to brown the leeks, just soften them. Turn it down to a low heat if necessary.

• Add the double cream, thyme, salt and black pepper. Mix through and cook for 2 minutes until the leeks are soft and the cream has slightly reduced.

• Add the chopped-up roast chicken and the parmesan. Heat through for 1-2 minutes.

• Set the chicken filling aside to cool whilst you prepare the pastry.

• Preheat the oven to 190℃/374℉/gas mark 5 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Prepare the pastry

• Unroll the sheet of puff pastry on the countertop.
  
  Keep the pastry on the paper sheet it was rolled in to save having to flour the surface. Seal any cracks that might have appeared in the pastry during unrolling.
  
  Top tip - Remove the pastry from the fridge 30 minutes before unrolling to bring it up to room temperature. The pastry is less likely to crack in the small inside curl when unrolling.
  
• Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry sheet out until it's slightly larger, about 40cm x 40cm/16" x 16".

• Use a side plate of circa 18cm in diameter as a template. With a sharp knife, cut out four circles from the pastry, tracing around the plate.
  
  Discard the excess pastry so you're only left with the four puff pastry circles.

• You can use the remaining pastry to make some embellishments for the top of your pies.

Assembling the pies

• Divide the chicken pie filling into four. Scoop ¼ of the filling onto one half of each circle. Spread it out in a rough half-moon shape, leaving a gap of about 1.5cm/0.6" around the edge. 

• Using the beaten egg and a pastry brush, brush a strip of roughly 1.5cm/0.6" egg wash around the edge of the clean half of the pastry.

• Fold the clean half of the pastry over the filled half and join the edges.

• Use a fork to crimp the edges shut. Be careful not to press the fork's tines into the filled part of the pie.

• Brush the top and sides of each pie with egg wash.

• Stab two small holes in the top of the pie with the tip of a knife. This allows steam to escape during baking.

• Sprinkle with sesame seeds, or poppy seeds if you like. Transfer the completed pies to the prepared baking sheet.

• Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and a light golden brown. Enjoy warm straight from the oven.

Make ahead instructions

• These chicken pies can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. Simply take them out of the fridge when you start preheating the oven.

• This recipe is also suitable for making ahead of time by assembling the pies and freezing them unbaked. Allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.

• If baking from frozen, increase the baking time by approximately 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown on top and are thoroughly heated throughout.

Storage

• You can keep chicken and leek pies in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is important to note that in warm conditions, chicken pies should not be left outside of the fridge for more than 2 hours.

• To warm up the pies, simply place them on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180C/356F for 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

• If you have frozen baked chicken pies, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
  
  Alternatively, you can also reheat them directly from frozen, but it will take approximately 10 minutes longer in the oven until piping hot.

What goes with chicken and leek pie?

• Mustard like English, wholegrain or Dijon mustard.

• Garlic mayonnaise.

• Sweet chilli sauce.

• Potato mash.

• Parmentier potatoes.

• Potato salad.

• Jerusalem salad.

• A crispy green salad.

• Brown rice salad.

• Chips or chunky wedges.

• Coleslaw.

• Any veggie dishes like cauliflower cheese, garlicky green beans, roasted broccoli, roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots and parsnips, carrot and swede mash etc

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