Stay Warm with Chicken and Leek Pie

It's cold outside, perfect AGA weather! 

We thought you might like to try this warming winter pie to keep you warm and it tastes great cooked on the AGA. 

Chicken and Leek Pie 

It is worth poaching the chicken, as the result is full of flavour with the added bonus of a good flavoured stock for soup.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 x 1.2 litre (2 pint) pie dish

1 x 1.8 kg (4lb) free range chicken

1 large onion, quartered

2 sticks celery, cut into 6 pieces

Salt and black pepper

1 bunch thyme

2.2 litre (4 pints) water

500g (1 lb 2 oz) leeks, sliced and washed

55g (2 oz) butter

55g (2 oz) plain flour

Salt and black pepper

300ml (½ pint) chicken stock

250g (9 oz) puff pastry

Beaten egg

Method

Place chicken, onion, celery, seasoning, thyme and water, plus washed trimmings of leeks, into the AGA stockpot, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

2, 3 and 4 Oven AGATransfer to the Simmering Oven for about 3 hours, until the meat is falling from the bone. Strip the meat from the bones and cut into large pieces – this should give around 625g (1lb 6oz) of cooked chicken. Strain the stock. Sauté the leeks in the butter until just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and seasonings, add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add the chicken pieces and place into the pie dish. Roll out the pastry and cover the dish, make a hole for the steam and use pastry trimmings to garnish the top. Brush with beaten egg. Cook on grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven for about 25 minutes until risen and golden. Conventional cooking:  Poach the chicken on the hob.  Bake the pie at 200ºC (400ºF), fan oven 180ºC, Gas Mark 6 for about 25 minutes or until golden.

Notes

Serve with steamed carrots and cabbage.