
Chicken, Leek and Lemon Puff Pie
Find out how to make chicken, leek and lemon puff pie with this easy recipe – made with Jus-Rol’s light puff pastry sheets and flavoursome chicken thighs.
Quick Stats
Moderate
4 Servings
20 minutes bake time
Chicken, Leek and Lemon Puff Pie
Find out how to make chicken, leek and lemon puff pie with this easy recipe – made with Jus-Rol’s light puff pastry sheets and flavoursome chicken thighs.
Ingredients
- 1 Jus-Rol™ Light Puff Pastry Sheet
- 8-10 Chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- Few sprigs of thyme (optional)
- 25g Butter
- 2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways, chopped and washed
- 1 Lemon, juice and rind
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 250 ml Chicken stock
- 2-3 tbsp Half fat crème fraiche
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 Egg, beaten
Equipment required
- Frying pan
- Ovenproof dish
- Pastry Brush
- Sharp knife
Techniques Used
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How to Roll Puff Pastry
How to Roll Puff Pastry
- For best results when rolling out puff pastry use a large, clean dry area of the work surface and lightly dust it with plain flour.
- Place pastry dough on surface and lightly dust it and the rolling pin with flour.
- Roll pastry firmly, always rolling away from you, give the dough 2-3 rolls.
- Then turn the dough a quarter turn.
- Dust again if necessary and continue rolling out, frequently turning the pastry so it is not always rolled in the same direction as this causes shrinkage.
- When the pastry has increased in size, pick it up to turn by rolling it round the rolling pin.
- Lift the pin with the pastry around it carefully and turn it to lay out and continue rolling. Again this is done to prevent the pastry from stretching as you lift it which in turn would result in shrinkage in baking. Puff pastry should be rolled out to approx. 4-5 mm depth.
- To re- roll puff pastry once you have cut something out from the main piece, layer up all the trimmings, folding to achieve approximately an even stack.
- Press stack lightly together with fingers.
- Then roll out as before.
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How to Make Puff Pastry Pie Tops
How to Make Puff Pastry Pie Tops
- When making a pie with a pastry top or lid, choose a dish with a rim and allow the filling to get cold before topping with pastry. Roll out pastry large enough to cover dish and with some spare. Cut a strip slightly wider than the dish rim, from the sides of the rolled pastry.
- Brush rim with water or beaten egg. Place pastry strip on rim and press firmly, continue with further strips until all rim covered. Brush rim with beaten egg or water.
- Roll pastry up on the rolling pin to lift it (as described in ‘Rolling out Puff Pastry’ section and gently unroll it over the pie dish. Press pastry edges firmly.
- Using a sharp knife trim off excess pastry by cutting downwards against the edge of the dish. Keep trimmings for decoration.
- Knock up edges to form a good seal by holding a sharp knife horizontally against cut edge and gently tapping the pastry edge all round.
- Make a fluted edge by pressing your thumb of your left hand firmly down on the top of the pastry on the opposite side of the dish from you, whilst drawing the back of a knife inwards, against your thumb as shown. Continue until all edge is fluted. Make a small steam escape hole in centre of lid.
- Re roll trimmings as described in the ‘Rolling out Puff Pastry ‘ section, cut out several strips of pastry.
- Holding the knife at an angle, cut the strips diagonally to give diamond shapes. With the point of the knife mark veins on the pastry ‘leaves’.
- To make a ‘stalk’ cut slightly narrower strips and roll them beneath opened hands to form long cylinders.
- Finally, make ‘berries’ by gently pinching off a small piece of pastry . Roll it in the palm of your hand with the fingers of the other hand to form small balls/ berries.
- Brush pie top with beaten egg. Lay the leaves, stalks and berries on in your chosen pattern and press gently onto lid. Brush again before baking.
Method
- Preheat oven to 180° C (160°C for fan assisted ovens) Gas Mark 5.
- Place the chicken thighs in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little oil and scatter with a few sprigs of thyme. Roast for 20 -25 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled remove skin and bone from meat and break meat into medium sized pieces.
- Meanwhile melt the butter in a largish frying pan and gently sauté the leeks until just ‘al dente’. Add the juice and grated rind of the lemon, stir in the flour and then gradually stir in the stock to give a good sauce. Bring to the boil to thicken and then simmer for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chicken and crème fraiche, season to taste and allow to cool. Increase the oven temp. to 220°C (200°C) Gas Mark 7
- Once cooled put leek and chicken filling into an oblong pie or other ovenproof dish and brush the top rim with beaten egg and top with the light puff pastry sheet.
- Press well down all round the top edge, trim any excess about 2cm down sides and press pastry firmly against side of dish. Make a slit or hole in the top and brush with beaten egg. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until pastry golden and risen.