Chicken & Ham Pie

Ingredients

• 500g cooked chicken, shredded
• 400ml chicken stock, hot
• 60g plain flour
• 150g frozen peas
• 1 leek, sliced
• 100ml double cream
• 50g unsalted butter
• 150g smoked ham, diced
• 1 egg, beaten (for glaze)
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (base)
• 200g ready-rolled puff pastry (lid)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 15g fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). Melt half the butter in a wide pan over medium-low heat and sweat the sliced leek for 6–8 minutes until silky and translucent — no colour.
2. Add the remaining butter, let it melt, then stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 1–2 minutes until it smells biscuity and loses its raw edge.
3. Gradually whisk in the hot chicken stock, a ladle at a time, until smooth. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until thickened and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon, then stir in the double cream and Dijon mustard.
4. Fold through the shredded chicken, diced ham and frozen peas. Warm through for a couple of minutes, season generously with salt and plenty of black pepper, then stir in the parsley if using. The filling should be thick and clingy, not soupy. Tip onto a tray to cool slightly while you sort the pastry.
5. Line a 20–23cm pie dish with the shortcrust pastry, pressing it gently into the corners and leaving a slight overhang. Spoon in the filling and mound it up in the centre.
6. Lay the puff pastry over the top, press the edges together firmly and crimp with a fork or your fingers to seal. Trim the excess, brush the lid all over with beaten egg and cut a small steam vent in the centre.
7. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the puff is deeply golden and risen, the shortcrust base is cooked through, and the filling is bubbling visibly at the vent.
8. Rest the pie for 10 minutes so the filling sets enough to slice cleanly. Finish with a crack of black pepper and a shower of chives, and serve in generous wedges with buttered greens or a sharp salad alongside.