Celebrate British Pie Week with a Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie

British Pie Week is one of our favourite weeks here at Harts of Stur. To be fair we love pies at any time of year, but when a whole week is dedicated to them, it would be rude not to join in! The humble pie is an absolute British classic and, like other staples of this fair isle (see sausages, beer, bread), has undergone a much deserved renaissance recently as part of the move towards local, seasonal food after decades of neglect. This year British Pie Week takes place from the 6th - 12th March. To celebrate, we thought we'd share a recipe from issue one of our very own magazine - Kitchen. Located in Weymouth, The Dorset Pie Company is proud to source the best local produce for its handmade pies and consequently have a string of awards and prime time endorsements from celebrity pie fan Chris Evans to show for it. Here, founders Gemma and Jason, share their recipe for their classic chicken, ham and leek beauty, a firm favourite at all the farmers markets and festivals they sell at and a pie that perfectly befits British Pie Week. Finally, don't forget to check out our British Pie Week kit list at the end of the recipe for the best gear to make that perfect pie.

Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie - Serves 4

Ingredients 1 whole chicken 250ml chicken stock 75g butter 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 50g plain flour 200ml milk 2-3 tbsp white wine (optional) 150ml double cream 150g diced lean ham – or ham hock Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season Shortcrust pastry350g plain flour 200g cold butter, cubed Ice cold water 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water to glaze 23cm pie dish or 4 individual

Method

1. Firstly preheat the oven to 200ºC/400F/Gas 6. 2. Roast the chicken according to the instructions. Leave to cool, then strip off the meat. Reserve the juices for your sauce. 3. Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and sauté for two minutes, until just softened but not brown. Add the garlic and then cook for a minute. Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 4. Slowly pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring to prevent it going lumpy. Then gradually add 250ml/10fl oz of the reserved stock and the wine. Stir until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a simmer and then cook for 3 minutes. 5. Season with pepper and add a small pinch of salt if required. Remove from the heat and then stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and then cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool. 6. For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the processor still running, add ice cold water until the mixture just begins to form a ball. Portion 250g/10oz off for the pastry for lid. Wrap both balls in cling film and pop in the fridge for 20 mins. 7. Remove the pastry from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. 8. Roll the large ball of pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until it’s rolled to a thickness of about 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish. Place the pastry into the pie dish and then press firmly up the sides, removing any air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides. 9. Cut the chicken into 3cm/1¼in pieces, then stir the chicken and ham into the cooled sauce. Pour the filling into the pie dish and then brush the rim of the dish with the beaten egg. Then roll out the reserved pastry for the lid. 10. Cover the pie with the lid and then press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry. 11. Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife, then glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. Finally, bake on a tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot. 12. Serve with creamy mash, gravy and minty smashed peas for a proper tasty dinner!

British Pie Week Kit List - prime gear for perfect pies

1. Magimix 4200XL Red BlenderMix Food Processor. Robust, powerful, efficient and quiet with it. The motor is guaranteed for 30 years of pie pastry making and it’ll take the place of eight other kitchen machines. 2. Circulon Infinite 24cm Stockpot. This heavy gauge anodised aluminium pot will reduce down a lifetime of stocks, with Circulon’s Total Hi-Low food release system guaranteed to outlast all other non-sticks. 3. Pyrex Impressions Pie Dish. Pyrex toughness but from the Impressions range, with classic vintage styling perfect for kitchen to table serving. 4. Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin. Takes the guess-work out of rolling pastry. Four sets of removable dics allow you to roll pastry to your desired thickness while handy measurements on the rolling pin's face enable you to roll out the pastry to the exact size needed. 4. Stellar Speciality Roast & Rack. A proper roast chicken will make all the difference to your pie. This pan has a lifetime guarantee, the non-stick coating five years.