Henrietta Balcon cooks traditional chicken and leek pie to mark British Pie Week, ‘a celebration of all things pie’, that takes place annually during the first week of March.
I love pie’s and I always look at them on a menu when we go out to the pub for dinner. Savoury or sweet, they are delicious.
I have to admit that I do buy my pastry rather than make it as I have become dairy-free. You can get wonderful dairy-free pastry mail order much better that I can make I am afraid. So I think that as it’s Spring, and the days are getting longer now is the time to cope with the chill of being outside more by having more pies, both savoury and sweet.
Here’s a lovely savoury pie recipe to get you in the mood. Chicken or beef are great at this time of the year. Venison is not in season, nor is game, so let’s go for an old fashioned chicken, leek, mushroom and ham pie.
Ingredients
- 3 leeks
- 1 thyme sprig
- 60g butter
- 100g button mushrooms
- 6 skinless and boneless chicken thighs – they are the tastiest bit of the chicken
- 100g chopped ham hock
- 1/2 glass of white wine
- 40g plain flour/rice flour
- 300ml chicken stock
- 100ml double cream/dairy-free double cream
- 1/2 juiced lemon
- 1 pack of puff pastry
- egg wash/egg yolks
Method
- Chop the leeks and thyme, then add to a large saucepan with the butter and melt gently on the hob until they are soft, usually about 10 minutes.
- Then add the mushrooms and cook for about five more minutes.
- Now turn the heat up and add the chicken which you have chopped into one inch pieces.
- Stir until it browns.
- Scatter the flour over this and continue to cook for a few mins until the flour has thickened.
- Add the wine, stock, cream, lemon juice and chopped ham hock.
- Season and simmer for about 10 mins.
- Cool and place in a pie dish in the fridge. You must not place the pastry on a hot pie filling.
- When the pie filling is cool, roll out the pastry, cut a 5cm strip of pastry and line the edge of the pastry dish and then egg wash the around the top where it will join the lid.
- Pre heat the oven to 220C/200Cfan/gas 6/Aga top right. Place the baking tray inside the oven to preheat it first.
- Roll out the rest of the pastry and cover the pie.
- Make decorations on the top that you like, such as trees or leek shapes, whatever takes your fancy.
- Put two small cuts in thetop of the pastry to release the steam from the pie.
- Finally, egg wash the pastry lid and place in a pre heated oven.
- Put the pie on the hot tray and cook for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
When cooked, leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with mashed potato.
If you want to make your own pastry, here is the recipe:
- 125g lard
- 125g butter
- 650g plain flour
- 1 egg
- salt
- 100ml ice cold water
- Place the lard, butter and a pinch of salt in a blender and combine until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Now add the egg and the water until you have a soft dough. Do not over mix, as this will make the pastry tough.
- Transfer to some cling film and place in the fridge until needed for at least an hour.
Henrietta Balcon
About Henrietta Balcon: Henrietta is an arable farmer’s wife from East Anglia, who is passionate about local food and eating seasonally. She was taught to cook by her mother.
This article originally appeared in the March 2025 edition of The Country Smallholder.
