Individual Chicken & Leek Pies

Just a quick post tonight. I am really tired. I had a long day at work. I have holidays starting next week but there is still a bunch of stuff that needs to be done before I can go so it is necessary to put in a couple of big days. I had kind of expected to be busy this evening but, well, sometimes things fall through.

I have a bunch of things that I have made recently that are starting to pile up. This one had slipped off the front page of my flickr account and I had been worried about forgetting about it. Although these pies were so good that I don't think I could really forget about them. I liked the little bite with the cayenne pepper, although I would probably add a touch more next time or perhaps even some hot smoked paprika. The tarragon was lovely in it as well although a tad strong but that may have just been me putting more in that I should have. I have a tendency to get a little heavy handed with the fresh herbs. I made these a pot pies, ie without the bottom pastry, instead of a traditional pie. These are from the lunch section but I served it with some mashed potato and veg for dinner and it made a great meal. 

Individual Chicken & Leek Pies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 500g chichen breast, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil (I used rice bran)
• 25g butter
• 2 leeks (white part only), sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup fresh peas, boiled for 5 minutes
• 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 4 sheets ready made puff pastry (one sheet if just making pot pies)
• 1 egg yolk (for glazing)

Method: 

• Combine flour, peppers and salt in a plastic bag. Add chicken and shake well.
• Heat oil and butter in a pan over high heat. Add chicken and stir fry till lightly browned and sealed but not cooked all the way through. Remove chicken.
• Reduce heat to medium and place leeks and garlic in the pan cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add wine and boil for 1 minute.
• Add stock and cream and simmer gently for a further 5 minutes.
• Add chicken, peas and tarragon and cook for a minute longer. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in parsley.
• Pre-heat over to 180C. Cut pastry to lines bases, sides and tops of 4 pie tins.
• Spoon filling into pastry cases and brush edges with egg yolk. Place tops on pies and seal.
• Brush tops with egg yolk and make 3 piercings with a knife or fork in the top of each pie.
• Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown.