I love chicken pie almost as much as I love Lucy

Actually, I really do love Lucy – Lucille Ball, that is, who I think was one of the most talented and wonderful comediennes who ever lived. I mean who could watch the “Vitameatavegamin” scene without falling over laughing? (Go check it out on Youtube if you’ve never seen it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrjWtPhO54s). One of my greatest sadnesses is that she and Desi Arnaz split up, but he did die in her arms…oh dear, enough of that or I may have to go and have a little sob…

Anyway, what a girl needs to cheer her up is a chicken pot pie. By a pot pie, I mean one that only has a top and no bottom (does that make sense?), which means it’s really easy to do. It is the perfect thing to make if you have leftover chicken, but is so good that it is worth cooking some chicken just so that you can make it. Anyway, this can be as easy or as difficult as you like depending on whether you rush out and buy some ready-made pastry or you indulge yourself in the recipe below, that was taught to me by Alain Roux at ‘The Waterside Inn’ and is flaky cholestrol heaven! Rough Puff pastry is the slightly less complicated little brother of Puff pastry and although it does seem like a real bother to make is a million times worth it once you’ve tasted it. I like to make double quantities and then keep half in the freezer for future use.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked, diced chicken, 4 leeks, sliced, 1/2 glass dry white wine: For the sauce: 1/2 pint milk, 1 bayleaf, 3 peppercorns, tablespoon of butter, tablespoon of cornflour, salt and pepper to taste. For the Rough Puff Pastry: Either buy a really good qualityready-made butter puff pastry or take 250g of butter, cubed and very cold, 250g of plain flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 125ml ice cold water.

Method

First if you are going to make the rough puff yourself do it a couple of hours or even days in advance!

*On a clean surface place the flour in a mound. Make a well in the middle and add the butter and the salt.
*With your fingertips, squeeze the butter and salt roughly in to the flour, until the mixture feels grainy but there are still small pieces of butter in it, it should look quite rough.
*Gradually add the iced water and mix with your fingers until it is all incorporated and forms a ball.
*Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Flour the worksurface and roll out to approx 20 x 10 cms, fold it into 3 and then turn it round one quarter.
Roll the pastry to the same shape and fold in three again.
Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Take it out of the fridge and place back on the floured surface and repeat your last process i.e. rolling, turning a quarter twice.
Wrap it up in clingfilm again and place back in the fridge for a final 30 minutes and it is ready to use.

Meanwhile, place the chopped leeks in a small saucepan and add the white wine, place over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the leeks are soft and cooked and have incorporated most of the white wine. In another non-stick saucepan, add the butter and the cornflour and place over a low heat. Mix continuously until the butter and flour are well blended (this is called making a roux). Add the milk little by little stirring thoroughly until well blended each time and then when all the milk has been added, place the peppercorns and the bayleaf and stir until it gently comes to the boil. the sauce should then have a thick, smooth consistency. If it is too thin, add a little more cornflour mixed with cold milk until it is nice and thick. Season with salt and pepper to your own preference. Take off the heat and add the leeks and the chicken to the white sauce. I often throw in a handful of frozen peas or diced cooked carrot at this stage.

You are now ready to assemble your pie! Place the chicken and leek mixture at the bottom of your pie dish. Roll out your pastry so that there is enough to cover the whole dish then make a few small incisions in the middle for the steam to escape. use extra pastry to make a double border round the outside, or pretty shapes – whatever you like! Brush all over with a little milk or egg yolk and place in the oven, Gas Mark 4, Fan assisted 160 degrees, non-fan 180 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden. This is lovely served with plain, mashed potato.