Chicken and ham and leek Pie
This recipe is a simple twist on my chicken and ham pie leftover recipe. At Xmas we often have plenty of ham and turkey (or chicken) leftovers which we normally use to make a pie of some sort. This chicken, ham and leek pie is one of the alternatives.
This recipe is based on the fact that you have some leftover ham from a boiled ham, but that you need to cook some chicken. You can also just use some cubed ham, if you do not have any leftovers.
In this recipe, I actually initially cook the chicken breast by simmering it in the chicken stock. Though the thought of ‘boiled chicken’ may put you off, believe me, it works very well and keeps the chicken moist and tasty for in the pie.
This chicken, ham and leek pie recipe is very simple and can be made using puff pastry or shortcrust, depending on your preference.
Ham and Leek
Ham and leek are always a good combination. The saltiness of the ham complements perfectly the sweetness of the leek. If you wish to discover this using another recipe, then try my bacon and leek pasta bake, which I am sure will convince you.
Add some chicken (or turkey) and the combination of tastes is complete. Add a nice creamy sauce and a delicious pastry lid and you have a typical English pot pie recipe.
British Pies
We have many different types of pie in Britain and Ireland. A pie is a baked dish which includes either meat or fruit and is covered by a layer of pastry (or in some cases, mashed potatoes).
It can be savoury or sweet and eaten as a main course or as a dessert.
Some examples of main courses with a pastry covering are: chicken and mushroom pie, chicken and ham pie, steak and onion pie, pork pies, and steak and ale pie.
Some main pie courses with a mashed potato cover are: cottage pie, shepherd’s pie (the same with lamb instead of beef), and fish pie.
And some sweet dessert pies are things like apple pie, rhubarb pie, cherry pie, apple and blackberry pie…..the list is a long one of possibilities.
We even have some desserts called pies that do not have a pastry top, like Banoffee pie. In fact, this reminds me I need to start making some dessert pies for this blog – it seems to be lacking!
Chicken, Ham and Leek pie
These pictures were made of a pie where I had not used any cream in the sauce. If you want the sauce to be more creamy, then just add the cream as described in the recipe below.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and let me know how you get on in the comments section below!
How to make a chicken ham and leek pie
Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie
This creamy chicken, ham and leek pie is a delicious way to feed the family and sneak them some greens!
Ingredients
- 3 skinless chicken breasts (about 500g)
- 250g ham (chopped leftovers or cubed ham)
- 2 leeks (cleaned and chopped, about 250g net)
- 400 ml chicken stock
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 50g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g plain flour
- 100ml White wine
- 300ml milk
- Thyme and Rosemary sprigs, 2 each, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Roll of shortcrust (or puff) pastry (defrosted, if frozen)
Note:
- Add 50ml cream (optional for extra creamy sauce)
- Adjust above quantities to suit your pie dish
- I used these quantities to make one large and one small pie.
Instructions
- First, simmer the chicken breast in the chicken stock for about 10 minutes. Then lay the chicken breasts apart on a plate and retain the chicken stock.
- When the chicken has cooled, chop into small pieces and add to the pie dish.
- Chop the piece of ham into small pieces and place in the pie dish. Then sweat the onion and garlic and leeks together in a skillet in some butter for about 5 minutes and place aside in the pie dish.
- Then melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour and slowly add the milk over medium heat, whisking to get rid of any lumps. Add the white wine and then bring to a simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Then add the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer again until the sauce has thickened again. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the leaves of the thyme and rosemary sprigs, nicely chopped. (If using the extra cream, stir this now into the sauce).
- Add the sauce to the pie dish, and stir it all up together, making sure everything is well mixed and covered. You can keep this in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
- When you are ready to cook the pie, pre-heat the oven to 180C. Then roll out the shortcrust pastry for the pastry lid, and place on top of the filling. If you have excess pastry make some nice shapes for the top of the pastry if you so wish.
- Make a hole in the pastry to allow the steam to escape during cooking.
- Brush the top with milk and place in a middle shelf of the oven and cook for about 40 minutes or until piping hot and the pastry is browned.
Notes
Serve up with some boiled potatoes, or just eat it on its own.
You can also use puff pastry if you prefer.