Chicken and leek pie has been a favourite comfort food for a long time. Colin’s got his own take on this classic dish, incorporating a few tweaks to give it a modern twist.
Now he’s not content to just provide you with a delicious recipe but he also has a tip for portion control. With a mix of fresh seasonal vegetables, chicken and herbs, this will be as tasty as it is easy to cook.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/200°C fan-forced. Put flour and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small bowl and whisk until a smooth paste forms.
Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan on medium-high. Add onion, garlic, leek and mushroom. Cook, stirring, for 5–7 minutes or until soft. Add wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze.
Add stock and bring to the boil. Stir in cream or crème fraîche, tarragon, and half the thyme. Add flour paste and cook, whisking vigorously, until the sauce thickens. Season.
For Potato topping, combine potato, remaining thyme and extra oil in a large bowl. Season.
Arrange chicken in base of a large 22 x 32cm (14-cup capacity) baking dish. Pour over 8 cups of the sauce until chicken is generously covered, leaving room for potato mixture on top. (You may have some sauce left over – see Cook’s tip.)
Arrange potato, overlapping, over chicken mixture. Brush with extra virgin olive oil or butter. Season. Cook for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until potatoes are golden and chicken is cooked through. Serve with extra tarragon.
Cook’s tips
Got leftover sauce? It’s delicious to serve as a dip with crusty bread.
