Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pie

Full of flavour Chicken and Leek Pie

I often plan dinners ahead, although food being an emotional enjoyment is also often decided daily.

On this Monday I had planned to cook a chicken and leek pie that evening, after work.

On this day while having my morning caffe latte and browsing the day's emails 

I was fortunate to find and read Billy Law's latest post featuring 

a game-of-thrones-faux-pigeon-pie and I highly recommend you have a look as well.

I was not quite inspired enough to cook all of the trimmings, time is precious after work!

Billy's recipe was adapted to suit my ingredients and the time available.  It was a huge success.

Short crust pastry with Lard
500g all-purpose plain flour, extra for dusting
150g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
100g lard
1/4 cup cold water

Place flour, butter and lard into a food processor.  Blend until it just looks like breadcrumbs.

Lightly pulse, adding the water in a stream until it comes together as a ball.  

Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Chicken and Leek Filling

2 tablespoons butter

2 big leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
350g  white mushrooms, thinly sliced

900g chicken thigh fillets, diced into 1 - 2cm cubes

2 tablespoons butter, extra

¼ cup all-purpose plain flour200ml Chicken Stock

200ml cream

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried)

salt and white pepper
1 egg

Melt butter in a large heavy based  frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons butter, the leeks and mushrooms, sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the chicken pieces and fry another 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle the flour over this mixture and cook for a further couple of minutes. Gradually stir in the hot stock sitrring constantly, then add the cream. Add herbs and simmer gently over low heat until the mixture has thickened.    Season with salt and white pepper.  Allow to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 200 celsius.

Take 2/3 of the lard pastry and roll pastry out until it is wide enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 20-cm springform tin. Place a sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and fill with baking beans (weights to stop pastry rising) then cook for 20 minutes.  

Remove and take away the paper and weights.  Bake for another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Fill pastry case with chicken, leek and mushroom filling.

Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the pie with this lid, squeezing the lid to the sides to seal the pie.

Beat an egg with a little milk and brush the pie with this egg wash.

Place the pie on a baking tray, bake pie in oven for 35 - 40 minutes. 

Remove and let rest for 5 - 10 minutes.

Buon appetito, enjoy. Merryn

In Marches Autumn

Autumn in my Garden

March brings so much variety with many fruits almost ripe, a total gardener's delight!

Last year I had one Pitaya, this year there are 19, although 2 are on my neighbour's side of the fence.

Both of my arms were badly scratched retrieving the prickly branches to bring 17 back on my side.

Pitaya (Dragon fruit)

The first quinces have been picked. This tree was planted twelve months ago, it is clever to grow 5 fruit.

There are 20 olives brining in this jar, 20 this year, a whole bucketful next year~!

We have an abundance of figs.  Black Genoa, Brown Turkey, White Adriatic and a Yellow seedless variety (Please inform me if you know it's name.)
Fresh figs, grilled figs, fig jam, dried figs did I mention fresh figs?  Their flavour is sublime.

Soem need more protection from birds than other varieties.

A selection of chillies, from mild through to cayenne and jalapeno hot.

Plus our first lime of the season.

We have two bunches of bananas growing, which will ripen in different months.  Both suckers came from the same tree but one was moved to a different part of the yard where a crop of bananas will ensue.

Eggplant (aubergine) black, glossy and healthy.

This Tuscan Kale plant was riddled with caterpillars, so I pruned it right back

and now it has re-shot, producing fresh, young kale leaves.

Corn, behind a chicken proof fence, soon to produce luscious corn cobs.

Since being planted in the ground this bay tree is bursting with life.

Green papaya, I love to make green papaw salad with these lovely specimens.

Tamarillos (Bush Tomatoes), proudly clumped together.
These will turn a bright, dark red when ripe.

Ever present chicory, pick all the leaves and it will re-shoot to produce another plant.

We are still picking tomatoes, so much nicer than any store bought variety.

A Rockmelon vine with flowers trailing along the ground.

One of the free ranging chickens eating everything in it's path.

I hope you have enjoyed strolling around my Autumn garden, 

please take the time to enjoy the other Garden Share Collective members gardens.

Buon appetitio, Merryn.