Tuesday 29 July 2014

Chicken & Leek Pie

Winter warmers.  This one's right up there.  I've been playing with the terrific Simply Wize Gluten Free Puff Pastry sheets A LOT of late.  They make THE BEST sausage rolls - see my Facebook page - and countless other pastry delights.  My next conquest.. Chicken & Leek Pie.  I used to make it years ago when I was part of the gluten crowd *sniff* and I remember vaguely that it had wholegrain mustard in it and it was the bomb. 



I couldn't find my old recipe so I drew inspiration from a recipe I found online from The Australian Women's Weekly (for the filling) which you can find HERE and adapted to make gluten free. So without banging on too much - I share with you this pie of mine.  It is by no means a masterpiece but it tasted bloody fantastic and there was none left after one sitting.. I guess they liked it.

I made my own shortcrust for the pie base and sealed it with a Simply Wize puff pastry top.
The base was a bit crumbly so I will have to work on it but the big boys in my house said it was terrific so I don't know.. you be the judge.  It tasted fab and was buttery so glass half full right?  It's all about how you look at things I guess.  I'm my worst critic but I figure there's ALWAYS room for improvement.  Otherwise everything would just be a tad boring yes?

PASTRY BASE
225g plain gluten free flour (I used White Wings)
1 tsp xanthan gum
110g cold butter cut into cubes (I used unsalted but on reflection I think this base needs SALTED)
1 egg lightly beaten
1 Tbs chilled water

Blitz the dry ingredients together in a food processor.
Add your cold butter a little at a time until a crumb-like consistency is achieved
Add the egg and a little chilled water - you don't have to use the whole tablespoon - just go slowly until the right dough consistency is achieved.
Shape into a ball, flatten into a disc & wrap in Glad (plastic wrap).
Chill for an hour in the fridge.

After an hour, preheat oven to 180° C.  Remove dough from the fridge and roll out between 2 pieces of Glad or baking paper being careful not to roll too thin as it is not as robust as it's gluten filled counterpart. Use the Glad or paper to assist you in lifting the pastry into your pie dish. Trim edges but try to trim slightly above the edge of dish.  You don't have to be too precious. If your pastry tears or is too thin in parts, use the off-cuts to patch your base ~ gently pressing the pastry until you are happy with your shell. Line with baking paper and fill with pie weights, rice or baking beans and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce temp to 160° C and bake for another 10 minutes.  Remove paper, brush pastry shell with beaten egg and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes. Set aside.


THE FILLING
500mls chicken stock (I use Massel)
600g chicken breast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
40g butter
1 leek sliced (I used a V slicer - Quick! and can slice super thin)
2 Tablespoons gluten free plain flour or you could use GF Cornflour
2 teaspoons mixed or Italian dried herbs
175mls milk
200mls cream (I use Devondale Long Life thickened cream - 200mL packs are perfect and great to keep in the cupboard!)
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
1 egg yolk lightly beaten (to brush pastry top) 


Bring stock to boil in a medium saucepan, add chicken breast and return to boil. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand in stock for a further 10 minutes.
Remove chicken and roughly chop.  Keep 1/3 cup of stock that chicken has cooked in.

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy based frying pan, add leek and cook until it softens.  Add GF flour and dried herbs and stir over heat for 1 minute. Add the reserved 1/3 cup of stock, milk and cream. Continue stirring until mix thickens. Add chicken and wholegrain mustard.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.







Once cooled, add chicken mixture to your prepared pastry shell and top with Simply Wize GF puff pastry sheets.  I used 2 sheets ~ overlapping and cutting sections to patch around the pie dish as necessary.  Brush liberally with beaten egg.  Cut a couple of slits in the top of the pie and bake at 200° C for approx 20 minutes or until lovely & golden brown .