Phil Vickery's chicken and leek pot pie & leek and potato soup
Phil Vickery’s using Terry’s homegrown leeks to make a super simple chicken and leek pot pie. This easy recipe uses ready-made puff pastry and is on the table in just one hour. Not only is this the perfect family meal for a chilly evening, it’s friendly on the pocket too!
Phil’s Chicken And Leek Pie
Makes 1 pie
Ingredients
6 chicken thighs, skinless and boned (but keep the bones) and each one cut into 8 pieces2 medium leeks, washed well and chopped into small chunks1 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped¼ tsp ground turmeric2 tbsp fresh tarragon1 crumbly chicken stock cubesGround pepperWater, to cover1½ tbsp plain flour1 tbsp soft butter198g tin sweetcorn, drained2 sheets ready rolled shortcrust pastry1 medium egg, beaten
Method
1. Place the chopped chicken, chicken bones, leeks, carrot, turmeric, tarragon, stock cubes and pepper into a saucepan then add enough water to cover by 1-2 cm.
2. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked, by which time the liquid should just cover the meat and vegetables.
3. Once cooked, strain the chicken and vegetables out and skim off any fat. Measure the liquid that’s left, and return 200ml to the pan and bring to a simmer.
4. Mix the flour and butter together, then stir into the simmering liquid, it needs to be nice and thick. You will probably need to simmer for a minute or so.
5. Once thickened add the sweetcorn, chicken and vegetables and re-season, then cool and chill well. Ensure all of the bones have been removed.
6. Preheat the oven to 200℃ / Gas 6. Line a pie tin (18cm diameter base, 22cm diameter top, 4 cm deep) with a sheet of pastry and leave a nice overhang. Spoon in the chilled thickened mix and press down slightly.
7. Egg the top edge and lay over the remaining sheet of pastry, trim off the excess, thumb up and crimp nicely.
8. Brush with the beaten egg, make a small incision in the top and place on baking trays. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned and piping hot.
9. Serve with extra gravy, made using the remaining cooking stock.
Phil’s Leek And Potato Soup
Serves: 4
Ingredients
50g unsalted butter 3 medium leeks, washed and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped 600ml water2 x 10g vegetable stock cubes Salt and pepper to season Cream or milk (optional) Croutons to serve
Method
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the leeks and garlic. Cook gently to soften the vegetables, without browning.
2. Add the potatoes, water and stock cubes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.
3. Carefully liquidise the stock and vegetable mix and strain well, before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Reheat the soup and add a dash of cream or milk to thicken if you like.
5. Serve the hot soup with crispy croutons for added crunch.