Chicken, leek & blue cheese pie

PHOTO: NZ HERALD
PHOTO: NZ HERALD
This pie is so good it will probably become a regular dish this winter, Angela Casley says. There’s nothing better than crispy pastry and decadent blue cheese.

Serves 4

Filling

25g butter

1 leek, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 chicken thighs, diced to 1œcm thickness

¼ cup flour

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tbsp lemon zest

2 tsp Dijon mustard

100g blue cheese, crumbled

Pastry

500g puff pastry

1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200degC.

2. In a heavy-based pot, melt the butter. Add leek and garlic, cooking on low until softened. Add chicken and cook until slightly coloured (it doesn’t have to be browned). Stir through flour for 2 minutes. Add stock, cooking until thickened.

3. Stir through the zest and mustard. Allow to cool, then crumble in the cheese.

4. Roll the pastry into 2 pieces (or cut if using ready-rolled). Create one piece (20cm x 18cm) for the base, and a piece for the top (22cm x 26cm), so it will fit over the filling. Lay the base piece on a tray lined with baking paper.

5. Place the filling on to the base, leaving 1œ cm around the edge. Dampen with water. Place the large piece of pastry on top and press together. Using a knife, score the top of the pastry. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is puffy and golden. — Viva.co.nz