Chicken, Leek and Bacon Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (roughly 900g when whole) (or 650g-700g (1.4lb-1.5lb) cooked chicken.)
• 4 tablespoons butter (60g (2oz))
• 200 grams streaky bacon (smoked or unsmoked)
• 2 medium leeks (roughly 380g (14oz))
• 2 celery sticks (roughly 130g (4.5oz))
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 cup chicken stock (made with one stock cube)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or one sprig)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or one sprig)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 cup double cream (or single cream)
• ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prepping ---

2. 2

   Start by removing the skin and meat from the rotisserie chicken. Use your hands or a fork to pull the meat off the bones. Don't forget to keep some of the crispy skin for extra flavour - it's the best part!

3. 3

   Once the meat is off the bones, chop it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

4. 4

   Chop the streaky bacon into small, bite-sized pieces - not too finely, as you want to maintain some texture.

5. 5

   Then, slice the leeks lengthwise and chop them into roughly 2 cm (0.8 inch) chunks.

6. 6

   Finally, chop the celery, slightly smaller than the leeks.

7. 7

   --- Make the filling ---

8. 8

   Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a hot pan. Once melted, add the chopped bacon and fry for about 1 minute, allowing it to release some of its fat.

9. 9

   Add the chopped leeks, celery and garlic to the pan with the bacon. Over medium heat, cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened. Be careful not to let them brown. If they start to, reduce the heat.

10. 10

    Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it melt completely. Stir it through the mixture to combine.

11. 11

    Sprinkle the flour evenly over the mixture (don’t dump it in one spot, or it will clump). Stir constantly and cook for 1 minute until the mixture thickens and sticks together a bit. This is the roux, which will help thicken the pie filling.

12. 12

    Pour in the cup of chicken stock and stir it through. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken.

13. 13

    Stir in the mustard, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and cream. Mix everything together until well combined and heat through for 1 minute.

14. 14

    Stir in the chopped chicken and mix it through the sauce until everything is well combined.

15. 15

    Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring for 4-5 minutes, until it thickens to your liking. For a runnier filling, add more cream or stock. For a firmer filling, cook a little longer. The filling's consistency now is how it will be once the pie comes out of the oven.

16. 16

    Remove the chicken pie filling from the heat and let it cool slightly for around 30 minutes. Stir it occasionally to help speed up the cooling process.

17. 17

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/390°F.

18. 18

    --- Prepare the pastry lid ---

19. 19

    Unroll the puff pastry sheet onto the countertop and flatten it out.

20. 20

    Place your dish upside down on the pastry and use a sharp knife to cut around it, leaving a small margin slightly larger than the dish. This extra margin will allow you to pinch the pastry over the rim of the dish.

21. 21

    Spoon the slightly cooled filling into the dish and level the top with the back of the spoon for an even surface.

22. 22

    Gently lay the pastry lid over the filling and pinch the edges over the rim of the dish to seal (you don't need to brush the dish with egg).Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges for a neat finish.

23. 23

    Then, make four small cuts in the centre of the pie in the shape of a cross to allow steam to escape while baking.

24. 24

    If you’d like, use any leftover pastry to add decorative touches, such as leaves, stars or even a fun word (we like "cluck" for a chicken pie!).

25. 25

    Lightly brush the pastry with an egg yolk to give it a golden finish. Be careful not to let the egg yolk pool in any crevices, as it can cause those areas to darken too much while baking.

26. 26

    Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden, crispy and puffed up. Keep an eye on it from the 20-minute mark to prevent over-browning. If it starts to brown too much, cover the top lightly with a piece of foil and continue baking.