There are many varieties of savoury pies, but this easy chicken & leek pot pie is a classic for a reason- it’s fantastic!
This chicken & leek pot pie is surprisingly simple to make and extremely flavourful. Featuring tender chicken thigh meat & sweet leeks enveloped in a creamy, garlicky, white wine sauce, topped with buttery crunchy pastry…what’s not to love? Okay, calories, but sometimes we need an indulgence, right?
The key to this recipe is ‘low and slow’. Sauteeing the leek and celery slowly over a low heat cooks them gently without browning. This is important because browning changes the flavour significantly; what you want to do here is cook the leek in such a way that it becomes sweet and blends with the other ingredients.
Here’s how I made it.
I harvested a couple of large leeks and the celery from my garden, then sliced them while heating the butter in a large deep frying pan.
Once the greens were gently cooked, I removed them to a plate, then cooked the chopped chicken over a medium heat until just cooked through.
Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Then I returned the greens to the pan together with the stock cubes and wine, and cooked further. Lastly, the cream went in slowly and was mixed through. To make the pie itself, start by filling a pie dish with your mixture.
Top with a sheet of pastry, then trim the corners off. You can make your own pastry if you prefer, but I find store-bought sheets quick to use & they always cook up beautifully. Roll the edges and press them into the side of the dish then vent the centre of your pie.
Venting and crimping the top crust doesn’t just make your pie look beautiful; it also releases steam, prevents the crust from getting soggy, and keeps the filling sealed inside. Bake for 40 mins at 180C.
Chicken & Leek Pie Pot Pie
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 Oven
- 2 pie dishes
Ingredients
- 2 whole leeks
- 4 sticks celery
- 25 grams butter
- 500 grams chicken thighs or tenderloins, chopped breast will work but won't be as tender
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 chicken stock cubes
- 1.5 cups white wine
- 200 ml light cream or cooking cream
- 2 sheets puff pastry
Instructions
- Slice the leeks and the celery.
- Melt butter in a frying pan over low-medium heat. Fry the leek and celery gently until softened- 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the leek & celery and set them aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat up to medium, then add the chopped chicken to the pan and cook it through.
- Add the chopped garlic to the pan together with some salt & pepper.
- Return the greens to the pan, then crumble the chicken stock cubes in, & add the wine.
- Cook until the alcohol burns off- several minutes.
- Add the cream slowly, and stir through. Taste test the mixture and season as you like.
- Fill your pie dish with this mixture, then top with a sheet of pastry. Trim & roll the edges & vent the centre.
- Bake for 40 mins on 180 C (355F).
