Chicken Thighs & Leeks Pie with Buttery Pastry

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Chicken Thighs, in bite-size pieces
• 3 Leeks, sliced and rinsed
• 1 cup Peas
• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Brown the Chicken Thighs in 2 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat, 5 minutes, then set aside. It does not need to cook through here.
2. Melt the rest of the butter and sweat the Leeks with a pinch of salt until soft and sweet, 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth gradually, whisking, then the cream and mustard. Simmer 5 minutes until it thickly coats a spoon — a loose filling makes a soggy pie.
4. Fold in the Chicken Thighs, Peas, and tarragon, season well, and cool at least 20 minutes. Cold filling and cold pastry are the two rules of pie.
5. Tip into a pie dish, lay the pastry over, press the edges to the rim, trim, and crimp. Cut a steam vent in the center and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is deep gold and puffed and the filling bubbles through the vent. Rest 10 minutes before serving.