This is proper comfort food — a golden, crisp puff pastry pie with a creamy chicken and leek filling that comes together more easily than it looks. The method that makes it is the milk poaching. Cooking the chicken thighs in seasoned full-fat milk before building the filling produces meat that is extraordinarily tender, and the strained, flavoured milk becomes the base of the sauce. It is a small step that makes a significant difference.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
Serves 4 or more.
Chicken and Leek Puff Pastry Pie – How to Make It
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in
- 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- Handful black peppercorns
- Sprinkle of turmeric
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed, unpeeled
- Full-fat milk to cover
Place everything in a deep-sided frying pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and strain the milk into a bowl, discarding the onion, bay, and peppercorns. When cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones.
For the Filling
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
- Small piece butternut squash, diced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Parmesan, grated
- Olive oil and butter
Clean the frying pan and set it over a low to medium heat. Add a small glug of olive oil and a generous knob of butter. Sauté the leek, onion, and carrot until soft. Add the butternut squash and garlic and cook for two to three minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for one minute. Add the flour, stir, and cook for two minutes. Pour in the strained milk and add the Dijon mustard, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken pieces and stir gently. Scatter over the Parmesan and parsley and turn off the heat.
To Assemble and Bake
- 2 sheets ready-made puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet. Spoon the filling over it, leaving a border around the edges. Place the second sheet on top and crimp the edges to seal. Brush all over with beaten egg and grate over a little extra Parmesan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C / fan 180°C for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and risen. Keep an eye on it towards the end.
The beauty of a pie is its flexibility — add whatever vegetables you have lying around. Courgette, peas, and mushrooms all work well.
This recipe is part of my Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas – The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
