Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie
This creamy chicken, mushroom, and leek pie covered with crispy puff pastry is a classic British recipe, perfect comfort food that you’ll want to make again and again.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 32 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 3 chicken quarters ( 800 g/ 1.7 lb Notes 1 and 2)
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 allspice corns
- 1/2 chicken stock cubes
- 250 g mushrooms (9 oz Note 3)
- 450 g leeks ( 1 lb Note 4)
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 500 ml chicken stock ( 2 cups)
- 125 ml heavy cream ( 1/2 cup)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 5 gratings of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or Kosher (more to taste, Note 5)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 sheet puff pastry (Note 6)
- 1 egg (small)
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- 1
Cook chicken: Place chicken legs, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspices, and stock cube in a large pot. Cover with cold water about 2 ½ cm/ 1 inch above the meat. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer gently until cooked through (Notes 1,2).
- 2
Lift the meat from the stock and sieve the stock to remove the rest of the solids. Let the meat cool while you prepare the sauce.
- 3
Prepare vegetables: Clean and quarter the mushrooms. Clean and finely slice the leeks. Set aside separately.
- 4
Cook vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan. Fry the mushrooms until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the cleaned and sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes until soft, adding a splash of water and the grated garlic cloves halfway through. Remove from the pan.
- 5
Make the white sauce: Add the second tablespoon of butter, sprinkle the flour on top, and stir shortly until a thick paste is formed. Slowly add the measured stock, stirring well to avoid any clumps.
- 6
Simmer sauce: Add the cream, mustard, dried thyme and tarragon, nutmeg, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir well and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- 7
Shred the meat: In the meantime, remove the skin and the bones from the chicken legs. Shred the meat into smaller pieces.
- 8
Add meat, cooked vegetables, lemon juice, and chopped parsley to the sauce, and stir to combine.
- 9
Pour the sauce into the baking dish.
- 10
Unroll the puff pastry on the work surface.
- 11
Cut about 3 thin strips for the pastry; they should be as thick as the pie dish’s rim. Brush the rim with a bit of water and place these strips all around the edge of the baking dish. Brush the strips with a bit of water as well (Note 7).
- 12
Cover the pie with the pastry. Trim away the excess. Press down the rim using your fingers to seal the pie (Note 8). Use a sharp knife to cut a steam hole in the middle of the pie.
- 13
Egg brush: Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush the pie with the mixture.
- 14
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until deeply golden. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.