Chicken, leek and plum pie

Yield: 3 – 4 servings

Chicken pie is a wonderful thing: all savoury, succulent comfort. This one is light and juicy; the thin juice deliciously flavoured by the fruity sharpness of the plums and the savoury edge of the leeks.

Ingredients:

• 25 grams butter
• a little olive oil; Ulrike: rapeseed oil
• 2 large leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 1cm thick slices
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• about 500 grams boned, skinnless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks; Ulrike: 2 chicken thighs
• 100 ml white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 Lemon the zest, a couple of strips
• 150 ml chicken stock
• 250 grams ripe plums
• about 200 grams puff or rough puff pastry; I used ready-made all butter puff pastry
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly ground
• a little beaten egg

Instructions

1. For the filling, heat a trickle of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the chicken.
2. Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a 1.5 litre pie dish.* Add the butter to the pan then add the leeks and garlic.
3. As soon as they are sizzling, reduce the heat, cover and let the veg sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Increase the heat under the pan and pour in the wine.
4. Bubble briefly then add the bay leaf, lemon zest and stock and simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, halve the plums and remove the stones, then cut each half into 3 or 4 slices, depending on size.
5. Tip the contents of the pan into the pie dish, add the plums and mix well. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until large enough to cover the pie generously. Brush the rim of the pie dish with a little egg wash, then lay the pastry lid over the filling and press the edges down firmly on to the rim of the dish to seal.
7. Trim off the excess pastry. Brush the pastry lid with more egg wash, and cut a few long slits so that steam can escape. Bake for about 30 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.
8. Serve Chicken, leek and plum pie with mash and steamed greens or broccoli.

total time: 1,5 h
preparation time: 15 minutes
cooking/baking time: 55 minutes