{"id":345,"date":"2010-11-19T19:17:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-19T19:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gsu.eventmedialabs.com\/?p=345"},"modified":"2015-07-19T21:10:20","modified_gmt":"2015-07-19T20:10:20","slug":"leek-and-chicken-piepastie-recipe-economical-adaptable-a-firm-family-favourite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/leek-and-chicken-piepastie-recipe-economical-adaptable-a-firm-family-favourite\/","title":{"rendered":"Leek and Chicken Pie\/Pastie Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"
(our children’s favourite!)<\/p>\n
As I\u2019m on a roll with the recipes, a very adaptable, economic, family favourite here is Chicken and Leek Pie or Pastie. I usually cook it with lots of leeks, but sometimes with mushrooms and\/or sweetcorn \u2013\u00a0whatever’s\u00a0in the cupboard or garden.<\/p>\n
I use the term \u2018pie\u2019 loosely too….<\/p>\n
Depending upon what\u2019s in the cupboard, how much time I have, or how \u2018good\u2019 I\u2019m being, the topping could be made of mashed potato, shortcrust pastry, or this week a very delicious (but off the scale in weight watchers points!), pastie. You could also use the filling for vol-au-vents too.<\/p>\n
The reason I use the term economical is because I always poach a chicken for this recipe, getting enough meat off of a carcass for two dinners (that\u2019s 10 good sized portions in our house) and use the liquid for soup stock. So the free range chicken I bought from Aldi this week at \u20ac5.99 worked out at about 60c per portion.<\/p>\n
I prefer to buy free-range chickens whenever I can and, as they can be a lot pricier than factory chickens, poaching\u00a0makes them go further.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve never poached a chicken it\u2019s very easy\u2026.<\/p>\n
Place the chicken in a casserole dish or large saucepan with a lid, cover with water, add a roughly chopped carrot, onion, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, put on the lid then simmer for an hour \u2013 to an hour and a half \u2013 depending upon the size of the chicken. You can test when it\u2019s ready by checking with a fork \u2013 if the meat isn’t pink and it\u2019s starting to come off the bone you know it\u2019s ready! Let it cool for a while then remove the chicken from the pan, reserving the liquid.\u00a0 When the chicken’s cool enough to handle,\u00a0strip it of all it’s meat. You\u2019ll be amazed at how much you get.<\/p>\n
Put all the old bones and bits of skin left back into the pan with the reserved liquid, bring to the boil and simmer again for another hour or more to reduce. Sieve and save the liquid. This will give you a tasty stock for soups and gravies.<\/p>\n
So for the filling\u2026<\/p>\n
(will make about 5 portions)<\/p>\n
1 onion, peeled and sliced
\nHalf a coarsely chopped chicken (as above) or about 400g (1lb) cooked chicken
\n250ml (1\/2pt) semi-skimmed milk
\n1 chicken stock cube
\nBay leaf
\nSalt and pepper
\n2 tsp cornflour
\n2 cleaned and chopped leeks
\nOptional: flavourings to taste (it doesn\u2019t need them but tarragon is tasty with this), sweetcorn, mushrooms<\/p>\n
Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Place 200ml of milk in a saucepan with the stock cube, onion, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Gently heat then cover the pan with a lid, simmering for 5 minutes to infuse the flavours.<\/p>\n Mix the cornflour with the remaining cold milk and add this to the mixture, stirring all the time until the sauce begins to boil gently. Add the chopped chicken and leeks. The sauce should be a creamy, thick consistency \u2013 if it\u2019s too thin add a little more cornflour and milk until it thickens.That\u2019s it, filling made. As I said you can use it with\u00a0any of the toppings, and if you\u2019ve poached a chicken double up the ingredients list above and make a big batch.<\/p>\n If you’d like to expand your waistlines and make the pasties, I made a rough puff pastry (this takes about 10 mins)\u00a0a la Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Heat oven to 200oC)<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIngredients for Rough Puff Pastry:<\/h2>\n
\n200g cold butter
\n8-10 tbsp very cold water
\npinch salt
\n1 egg yolk beaten or milk to glaze<\/div>\n