Chicken, Leek and Parsley Pie - by 2TA

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 x Roll short crust Pastry
• 3 chicken breasts on the bone
• flavouring ingredients (1 carrot, 1 onion, 6 black peppercorns, bay leaf, pinch salt)
• 50g butter (4 tbsp)
• 5 leeks, thinly sliced
• 100g cheddar cheese, grated
• 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 3 heaped tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 350ml single cream
• salt and pepper
• beaten egg to glaze
• mixed green salad to serve

Method:
1. Poach the chicken breasts in water to cover, with the flavouring ingredients added. Cook the chicken until tender. Leave to cool in the liquid.
2. Preheat the oven to 200oC. Divided the pastry into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured surface and use to line a baking dish or tin. Prick the base with a fork and bake for 10 min. Leave to cool.
3. Lift the chicken from the poaching liquid and discard the skins and bones. Cut the chicken flesh into strips and then set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the leeks over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft.
5. Stir in the cheddar, parmesan and chopped parsley. Spread half the leek mixture over the cooked pastry base.
6. Cover the leek mixture with the chicken strips and then top with the remaining leek mixture.
7. Mix together the wholegrain mustard, cornflour and cream in a small bowl and add the seasoning. Pour over the chicken and leek filling.
8. Moisten the edges of the cooked pastry base with the egg glaze. Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the pie. Brush the lid of the pie with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven for 30 – 40 min until the pie is golden and crisp.

Additional decoration (I only do this when I have guests for dinner - when it's just me and hubby - I obviously don't add this detail)

Cut thin strips of pasty long enough to go diagonally across the pie. Create a lattice effect with the pastry strips and in each diamond shape place a small ball of dough. Brush carefully with egg glaze and back as above.

I see that not many people have opened this recipe - but guys, TRUST ME, this is one of my all time favourite dishes!!!! It is the most tastiest pies EVER! in my books - it's better than the butter chicken and the bobotie!!!

try it - you won't be sorry!!!!!

2TA...my MIL made this recipe and !!!! it was amazing!! Will def give it a try as well! Absolutely delicious!!

Oh I really hope that one of you ladies will get this message soon-ish, becaus I'm making this at the moment.

I want to ask:
Do you really just throw away the whole flavour mixture with the carrot, onion etc after you've finished with it? It seems like such a waste. Or do I need to keep it in the pie?

Ahhhh, I think I've just seen at Point 7: is "the seasoning" that whole mixture that was left behind (stock with veg)?

Venus - what I do sometimes is just whizz up the water that the chicken was boiled in (with the carrots, onion, bay leaf etc) and then freeze it in ice cubes - you can use this as chicken stock for other dishes... very useful and obviously healthier than using bought chicken stock...