Chicken and Ham Pie
I don't think a pie can really be called a pie unless it's got pastry on the bottom and pastry on the top. Without that it's more of a casserole with a lid on, nice I guess, but not a pie. Yes, like with my Steak and Guinness Pie I cheat and use pre-made pastry for both the top and the bottom of the pie, but they're just as good (as long as you choose butter ones) as home-made and Puff Pastry really isn't worth the hassle!
Stats
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 150g cubed cooked ham (leftovers from Nigellas Coca Cola Ham are great here)
- 300g chicken breast (approx 2 breasts) cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 leek, trimmed, washed and cut into 1cm half moons
- 50g butter
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 150ml white wine
- 2tbsp flour
- 400ml chicken stock
- 1/2tsp english mustard
- 100ml milk (or cream if you're treating yourself!)
- Dash of sherry vinegar
- 1 pack of pre-rolled shortcrust pastry
- 1 pack of pre-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten to glaze the pastry with
Method
- Melt the butter and oil in a saucepan on a medium heat
- Add the chicken breast pieces and cook until browned
- Add the leek and ham, stir well and cook with the lid on for 5 to 10 minutes on a low heat to soften the leeks
- Turn the heat back up a touch, add the wine and reduce for 5 minutes
- Add the flour, stir well to combine and cook off for a few minutes
- Add the stock, mustard and milk and mix well to combine
- Cook to thicken and reduce the liquid to a pie-filling consistency before adding the sherry vinegar and seasoning with salt and black pepper
- Follow the instructions on the shortcrust and puff pastry regarding preparing it for use (most need to be removed from the fridge ahead of use)
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, fan assisted
- Line a pie dish (I use a rectangular pyrex glass dish that's approximately 20cm x 15cm x 6cm) with the shortcrust pastry - I don't bake it ahead before putting the filling in
- Trim the edge of the shortcrust pastry and brush with some beaten egg
- Add the filing to the dish
- Place the shortcrust pastry over the top, crimp the edges gently with a fork and trim the excess off
- Brush with the beaten egg
- Make a couple of slits in the middle of the pastry to let steam out
- Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and all is cooked through. If you've allowed the filling to cool then it may take longer to cook