Chicken pie from This Morning

This recipe is nothing new, a simple chicken pie but sometimes there’s nothing better than crumbly homemade buttery pastry encasing moist chicken fragranced with tarragon and mingling with creamy leeks! 

The white wine really sets off the filling and the cream adds richness!  This pie can even be made out of leftovers, the day after you have a roast chicken try making this with the leftover meat picked from the bones, 

Normal chicken stock is fine if you don’t have the time to make fresh chicken stock but please do try it if you can, its FREE to make as you use the carcass from a roast chicken that you would usually throw away!Ok here goes.

 Ingredients
makes 1 9inch by 6 inch pie which will serve 4-6
For the pastry use the short crust recipe I have posted under the baking section.  Double the quantities for this pie.
For the filling:
vegetable oil
2 small leeks cleaned and sliced
A handful of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
400-600g of raw boneless chicken pieces or you can use the meat picked from a leftover roasted chicken (which is my preference for this pie)
1 garlic clove
100ml white wine
50mls of chicken stock
150ml double cream
A sprig of fresh tarragon, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 egg for egg washing
Method
Pre heat the oven to gas mark 7 (220)
Make the pastry as per the pastry instructions under the baking section.
When its resting in the fridge make the filling.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until softened.
Turn the heat up and add the mushroom.  Fry for a few minutes stiring constantly so the leeks don’t butn.
Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, for another 4-5 minutes until just browned.  If you are using already cooked chicken pieces from a roast chicken just add them and stir in for a few seconds.
Add the wine and bubble away until reduced slightly.
Pour in the stock and reduce slightly.
Add the cream and tarragon, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-6 minutes until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper then set aside to cool.
The mix should be wet but not too sloppy or liquid.

Right back to the pastry.
Once you have rested the pastry cut it into 2 pieces, one slightly bigger than the other.
Roll out the larger piece of pastry to the size of your pie dish, I like to use a roasting tin lined with baking parchment so I can lift the pie out once its cooked.  Its also cool to use a quiche tin (loose bottomed)  If you are using this no need to line with baking parchment as its loose botttomed so it will lift out easily enough.
Grease the edges of the pie dish with butter.
Line the baking tin with the pastry so it overhands the edges! 
Fill the pastry case with the pie filling.
Now roll the second piece of the pastry out and fit this over the top of the pie. (wet the edges of the pastry case before putting the lid on this will help it to stick.)
Knock and crimp the edges of the pie together, this basically means sticking the top of the pastry to the bottom of the pastry, squeeze it together gently until the top and bottom pieces of pastry are joined and sealed.
Beat the egg with a little salt, then brush over the pastry lightly which will make the pastry golden.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden.  Remember everything is cooked inside so you are just cokoing the pastry.
Remove from the oven and serve straight from the dish with mash and greens.  Alternatively if you have lined a baking tin with parchment lift the pie out and slice at the table! YUM!