John Torode's chicken, leek and mushroom pie
Nothing speaks of comfort more than a pie, John Torode has the perfect recipe to start off your week with a warming, creamy chicken leek and mushroom crowd pleasing pie!
John Torode’s Sour Cream Pastry
Makes enough pastry for a large pie
Ingredients
420g plain flourGood pinch of salt300g butter180g sour cream
Method
1. Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until it forms breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse again until it reaches a paste consistency.
2. Form the mix into a ball, and place onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Fold the paper over and flatten the pastry between the sheets, so it is flat and will cool more quickly. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
3. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
John Torode’s Chicken, Leek and Potato Pie
Serves: 8
Ingredients
For the poached chicken:4 chicken breasts and 8 chicken thighsBay leafs2 large onions, each cut into 8 wedges1 clove garlic 2 chicken stock cubesSalt and pepper1lt milkFor the sauce:100g butter3 large leeks, thickly sliced300g button mushrooms, broken in half 60g flour100ml crème fraîcheParsley
To assemble:Sour cream pastry (or shop-bought)Milk, for glazing Pie tin, about 26 x 21cm, 5cm deep
Method
1. Add the chicken to a large enough pot, along with a couple of bay leaves, the chopped onion, garlic and stock cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with the milk, topping up with water if necessary.
2. Bring the chicken to the boil, then reduce the heat and slowly simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and drain off three quarters of the liquid, keeping to one side. (To keep the chicken moist, it needs to stay in some of the liquid, otherwise it will dry out.) You will need at least 600ml of the poaching liquor to make the sauce.
4. In a large pan or wok, cook the leeks and the mushrooms in the butter until they are soft, and season well with salt and pepper. Once soft, add the flour and stir to make a paste (roux). This mix will coat the leeks and the mushrooms.
5. Add 300ml of the reserved poaching liquid to the pan, and bring to the boil. Taste and add the other 300ml, bring back up to the boil and stir well so that you have a lump free sauce.
6. Cut the chicken into big hunks, so the breast into roughly 6 or 8 pieces, and the thighs into 4. Drop the chicken into the sauce and now add the crème fraîche. Finish with chopped parsley, season, and that is your pie filling.
7. Preheat the oven to 200C.
8. Place the pie mix into the pie dish or into little pie dishes, and leave the mix to cool a little.
9. Roll out the chilled pastry, and cover the pie with a decent thick lid with dimples. Brush with milk and stab the middle.
10. Put the pie dish or dishes on a flat baking sheet, pop into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180C and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is piping hot - loosely cover the pie with foil if the pastry is browning too much.