Creamy Chicken, Gammon and Leek Pie

Creamy chicken, gammon and leek pie…what’s not to like?!   This pie is inspired by a Hairy Bikers recipe I found on the BBC website.   I had some gammon left from a small unsmoked joint so decided I could use that instead of ham, and rather than make the pastry that encases the whole pie,  I decided to use a ready-rolled puff pastry sheet just to top the pie.   This reduces the calories quite a bit and using Elmlea cream for the sauce helps too!   This recipe is a winner and will definitely be made again and again….the sauce was delicious and the chicken and gammon were lovely and tender – comfort food at its best.

Depending on how hungry the people you’re feeding are, this pie will feed 4 to 6.

Tips

• You could easily use skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you prefer, or a mixture of both.
• The chicken quantity was quite a bit more than the gammon, so you could reduce the chicken to two breasts and increase the gammon to 250g.

Other Recipes

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• chicken and turkey dishes

Ingredients

• 450ml chicken stock
• 3 skinless chicken breasts 
• 75g butter
• 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 55g plain flour
• 200ml milk
• 150ml double cream (I used Elmlea to reduce the calories!)
• 150g piece thickly carved cooked unsmoked gammon, cut into 2cm chunks
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 325g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Instructions

1. Heat the chicken stock in a lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the stock and set aside on a plate to cool. Pour the stock into a jug for using in the creamy leek sauce.  
2. Melt 25g of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3. Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each adding. Gradually add 250ml of the reserved stock, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.  The remaining stock can be discarded or used if needed in another recipe.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Check the seasoning again and add, to taste. Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.
6. When you’re ready to bake the pie, cut the cooled chicken breasts into 3cm pieces. Stir the chicken and gammon into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg, then remove the puff pastry from its packaging and unroll it.
7. Cover the pie with the unrolled pastry and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry. I decorated the top of the pie using the excess pastry!   My pie dish is 29cm x 23cm, so the width of the unrolled pastry fit perfectly.
8. Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.

Creamy Chicken, Gammon and Leek Pie

Deborah

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Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Servings 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 450ml chicken stock
• 3 skinless chicken breasts
• 75g butter
• 2 leeks trimmed and cut into 1cm slices
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 55g g plain flour
• 200ml milk
• 150ml double cream I used Elmlea to reduce the calories!
• 150g piece thickly carved cooked unsmoked gammon cut into 2cm chunks
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 325g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg beaten, to glaze

Instructions

 

• Heat the chicken stock in a lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the stock and set aside on a plate to cool. Pour the stock into a jug for using in the creamy leek sauce.
• Melt 25g of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each adding. Gradually add 250ml of the reserved stock, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.  The remaining stock can be discarded or used if needed in another recipe.
• Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Check the seasoning again and add, to taste. Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.
• When you’re ready to bake the pie, cut the cooled chicken breasts into 3cm pieces. Stir the chicken and gammon into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg, then remove the puff pastry from its packaging and unroll it.
• Cover the pie with the unrolled pastry and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry. I decorated the top of the pie using the excess pastry!   My pie dish is 29cm x 23cm, so the width of the unrolled pastry fit perfectly.
• Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.

Notes

• You could easily use skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, if you prefer, or a mixture of both.
• The chicken quantity was quite a bit more than the gammon, so you could reduce the chicken to two breasts and increase the gammon to 250g.

 

You might also like to try:

• chicken and turkey dishes

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