Chicken & Leek Pies with a Chilli Butter Puff Pastry
Cosy, hearty and instantly gratifying, there’s no better way to say ‘I love ya kid’, then with these chicken and leek pies.
A silky decadent sauce, with light, flaky puff pastry…it’s a food combo that never gets old, that demands table mats to be placed, a fresh loaf sliced and a little wine poured (depending on which night of the week it is. In our house: Thurs-Sun, it’s ON).
I suggest starting in the morning and using the one pan for all of it - cooking off the chicken first and then using the rendered fat to slowly cook the onions, garlic and leeks. By cooking it early, you give the pie mix time to really mellow over the course of the day, bringing a huge dollop of flavour to the party later that eve, once the pastry is ready to roll.
A good quality organic stock is a shout. I haven’t got into the habit of making my own yet but I really like Kallo. It’s organic and low in salt, with a good, sustainably-sourced ingredient profile. Unlike many of other stock brands, it’s also free of extra MSG (yep, looking at you OXO).
The pastry is a labour of love but is so instantly gratifying and mindful to make. Coax it gently, working the dough with your hands and popping it in the fridge between folds to chill out (literally). The chilling time strengthens it and gives it form, making it more manageable with every fold you make. You’ll feel and see the difference as you work through the steps.
INGREDIENTS:
500g boneless chicken thigh fillets
1 tbsp balsamic glaze
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
75ml white wine
2 heaped tbsp Vegetable stock paste (I use Kallo)
300ml chicken stock
3 heaped tbsp creme fraiche
For the puff pastry:
100g cold Chilli Butter
100g cold butter
225g Strong White flour
150g lukewarm water
Large pinch of salt
Egg wash - 1 whisked egg with some salt & pepper
METHOD:
Heat some olive oil in a pan on a high heat. Tip in the chicken and let it cook for a while untouched to get it nice and glazed. Flip over and cook the other side then add a good drizzle of balsamic glaze and Worcestershire sauce. Season everything well and let the chicken cook for a couple minutes more.
Use a spatula to remove the chicken from the pan, keeping as much of the rendered fat in the pan as possible. Throw in the leek, onion and garlic and stir fry, scraping the bottom of the pan slightly to release all of those yummy chicken flavours and cooking until soft and translucent.
Turn up the heat and tip in the white wine, moving everything around quickly until the alcohol is cooked out. Add the chicken back to the pan and season again. Add the stock paste and cook to combine. Then turn the heat down and start adding the stock, spooning it in gradually until the pie mix is bubbling away nicely and the sauce has thickened.
Turn off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche. Season, put the lid on and leave to one side whilst you make the pastry.
To make the puff pastry, combine the flour and salt in a food processor and combine, adding the water slowly as you go. It’ll come together quickly, at which point you can tip it into a bowl, cover with a tea towel and pop in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Place the two butters together on a large piece of parchment, add a little salt and fold the parchment over the top. Use your hands and a rolling pin to smooth out the butter, warming and moulding it into the size of a postcard.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Flour your rolling pin and work the pastry into a large rectangle. Place the butter in the middle. Fold the top of the pastry down and over the middle section of butter, then do the same with the bottom part (sealing it up like an envelope).
Turn the pastry so the long section is vertical on the workbench. Roll out the pastry again, then repeat the steps above - folding down the top section, then folding up the bottom section into a neat envelope. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes and repeat the above process (rolling and turning) 3 more times. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour until ready to use.
Heat the oven to 200C. Grease your ramekins with a little butter. Roll out the dough into a thin pastry and cut it into circles (ensuring the circles are big enough to form the base and lids of the pies).
Place the pastry inside the ramekins and press down slightly. Tip in the creamy pie mixture, then pull the pastry over the tops of the pies to create a lid, sealing gently on top. You can use the pastry remnants to create some decorative leaves if you like.
Use a pastry brush to cover each pie with the egg wash. Place in the hot oven for 20 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
