Description
Jamie Oliver’s legendary chicken, bacon and leek pie delivers hearty British comfort with golden pastry and rich, creamy filling. Perfectly seasoned ingredients meld together, promising a warm embrace that speaks directly to soul-satisfying home cooking you’ll savor with every delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 600 g (21 ounces) chicken breast (cut into chunks)
- 200 g (7 ounces) bacon lardons
Vegetables and Herbs:
- 2 medium leeks (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 bay leaves
Pastry and Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 200 milliliters (6.8 fluid ounces) chicken stock
- 150 milliliters (5.1 fluid ounces) double cream
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- salt
- pepper
- milk to glaze
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 200°C/392°F (180°C/350°F for fan-assisted) and prepare a 35×23 centimeter (14×9 inch) baking dish.
- Gently stretch and shape the first puff pastry sheet to fit the dish’s base, ensuring complete coverage.
- Cover the pastry with parchment paper and distribute baking weights evenly across the surface to prevent rising.
- Roast the pastry base for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the weights and parchment paper.
- In a large skillet, crisp the bacon lardons until they develop a golden, crunchy texture, then transfer to a separate plate.
- Use the same skillet to sauté leeks until they become translucent and soft, then introduce chicken chunks and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Reintroduce the crispy bacon to the skillet and incorporate dried thyme, bay leaves, chicken stock, double cream, and cornflour mixture.
- Simmer the contents, stirring continuously until the sauce reaches a thick, velvety consistency.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Pour the aromatic filling into the pre-baked pastry base, ensuring even distribution.
- Cover with the second pastry sheet, pressing edges to create a tight seal and creating a small ventilation cross in the center.
- Brush the pastry surface with milk and optionally decorate with additional pastry trimmings.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the top achieves a rich, golden-brown color.
Notes
- Chill pastry dough thoroughly to prevent shrinking during baking.
- Roll dough gently on a lightly floured surface to maintain delicate texture.
- Press pastry into the tin with fingertips, avoiding stretching which causes uneven baking.
- Work quickly to keep butter cold and ensure maximum flakiness.
- Use a sharp knife to trim excess edges for clean, professional-looking sides.
- Create small steam vents by cutting intricate patterns on top crust.
- Brush with egg wash for rich, glossy golden-brown color.
- Let pie rest for 15-20 minutes after baking to set filling completely.
- Ceramic pie weights help prevent bottom crust from puffing up during blind baking.
- Select room temperature ingredients for smoother, more consistent dough mixing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 471 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 724 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 94 mg