Quite how I forgot I don't like cooking is a mystery.
Anyway, I'd been fancying pie for a couple of days, so I made one.
I chose to make a chicken and leek pie.
As I've said before I don't really bother following recipes exactly, but here's the recipe I used - roughly.
Ingredients
For the Pie Filling ~
3 Large Chicken Breasts
3 Leeks
4 Onions
5 Cloves of Garlic
Mushrooms, I used just one huge field mushroom, chopped in to tiny pieces
Ingredients
For the White Sauce ~
Butter, lots ;) I know that's not all that helpful, but just use as much as you like, it's what I do
Flour, not a lot :)
Milk, as much as needed to produce a thick, but not too thick, white sauce
Ingredients
For the Pastry ~
4oz, 125g Plain Flour
2oz, 55g Butter
Pinch of Salt
Cold Water, the amount will depend on many things, so just add a dessert spoon at a time
Method
For the Pie Filling ~
1. Chop onions and garlic, and sauté until soft
2. Slice the leeks, sauté until soft
3. Dice the chicken breasts in to bite size pieces
4. Sauté the chicken until all sides of the pieces are sealed, it will be raw in the middle, but will cook through once it's in the oven and will be nice and moist
Method
For the white sauce ~
1. Melt butter in a saucepan
2. Add small amounts of plain flour to the melted butter and stir until it forms a roux
3. Keep the roux moving for a couple of minutes until it's cooked
4. Slowly add milk, while constantly whisking
5. By this stage you should have a lovely lump-free white sauce
6. Simmer the sauce on a low heat for a few minutes
Now it's time to combine the white sauce with the pie filling; chicken, leeks, onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
Once it's all mixed thoroughly, transfer it to a greased ovenproof dish, and set aside while you make the pastry.
Now for the pastry, which is seriously easy, and it's the quickest part of this recipe.
Method
For the Pastry ~
1. Weigh 4oz of plain flour
2. Then add 2oz of butter
3. Add a pinch of salt
I used the bowl of the scales as my mixing bowl
4. Chop the butter in to small pieces
5. Add the butter to the plain flour
6. Use your fingers to gently rub the butter in to the flour, try to work quite quickly so it doesn't become too greasy
7. When the flour and butter resemble breadcrumbs, and there's no large lumps of butter visible, it's done
8. Gradually add dessert spoons of cold water, just enough to bind the dough
9. Wrap the dough in cling-film and chill for 10-15 minutes before using
I didn't bother to chill my pastry, I used it as soon as I'd made it
10. Flour a work surface
11. Place the dough on floured work surface, and squash flat with your hand
12. Sprinkle dough with flour, and start rolling flat
13. When the pastry is large enough to cover the dish you intend to cook your pie in, stop rolling
14. Top pie with pastry, crimping the edges with your fingers to form a perfect seal around the edges of the dish
15. Brush the pie with milk, olive oil, a beaten egg, of whatever you fancy
16. Cook at 180c for about 35-45 minutes
17. Serve, and enjoy! :)
Using white wine, and a good home-made stock instead of the white sauce also makes a tasty pie. That's what I usually do, but this time I fancied a creamier filling.
Alternatively you can use yogurt, or cream in the filling.
That's the good thing about pies, you can make them in so many different ways. Oh, and the taste, that's anther good thing about pies - the taste, they're seriously delicious!
I served our chicken and leek pie with steamed potatoes, Brussels sprout, broccoli, carrots, and peas.
Well, that's what we had the first day. The pie was massive, so it lasted for more than just the one meal. We also ate it with rice and plum tomatoes another day, and, oh so many other meals...........
Despite my lack of love for cooking, my chicken and leek pie was successful, Mr.R enjoyed it, and no doubt he enjoyed the novelty of not having to cook for us.
Now, if only I could remember that I don't like cooking, and stay out of the kitchen.
The nest time I fancy a pie, to anything else I'll ask Mr.R to make it. He won't mind, he enjoys cooking, which is good because he cooks for us every day, often several times a day.
As I always say the kitchen is no place for a woman - especially not me. ;)
What's your favourite pie?
Savoury or sweet?
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