Chicken And Leek Pie With Potato Scone Crust

Leftovers needing jazzed up a bit?

 This is the recipe for you, using leftover roast chook and the insides of some baked potatoes, discard the skin, or some leftover mashed potato.

I have used homemade chicken stock from some roast chicken flavoured with lots of garlic and fresh herbs so the stock has heaps of flavour, if you are using powder or a cube, maybe add a little fresh parsley and garlic to the leeks when they are cooking for a bit more flavour.

The potato scones go beautifully crispy on top and mushy and chickeny on the bottom, yum!

Serves 8.

Ingredients

110g butter

2 large leeks, halved lengthwise, cut into 1cm pieces and washed thourghly

100g gluten free plain flour

1.2l chicken stock

800g cooked chicken or ham

TOPPING

500g cooked potato, mashed

100g butter

50g gluten free plain flour

1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade.

In a large, shallow oven proof pan, heat the butter over a medium heat.

Add the leeks and cook for 10 minutes until vibrant green and soft.

Add the flour to the pan and stir continuously for one minute.

Pour the stock into the pan and stir until it thickens at boiling point.

Stir the diced cooked chicken through and set aside.

Now make the scones.

In a large bowl, weigh out the potato, finely diced butter, flour and baking powder, using your hands, gently work the mixture until a dough begins to form.

Flour your work surface with gluten free plain flour and using your hands, gently squash down the dough until 5mm thick.

Take a floured cookie cutter and cut discs, once there is no more space, reform the dough, squash down and re cut until you have enough discs.

Place the scones onto the pie filling and pop into the oven.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Caramelised Onion and Potato Pie

This is one of those comfort potato bakes that everyone loves and they all come back for seconds in our house.

Serves 6-8. You can also make this ahead of time as it freezes very well.

Ingredients

50g butter

3 large onions, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 shallot, finely sliced

750 g potatoes, finely sliced, I use an mandolin

fresh thyme

8 eggs, beaten

350g sour cream

400mls cream

salt and pepper

parmesan

Method

Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onions and garlic and over a low heat slowly cook down until caramelised, this can take 45-60 minutes but keep an eye on them towards the end so they don’t stick to the pan and burn.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

Take a large roasting dish, I use a 30x20cm dish.

Line the base and sides with baking parchment.

Whisk the eggs, sour cream, cream, salt and pepper.

Pour a little egg mix into the base of the dish, top with potato slices, followed by a little of the caramelised onions and a little sprinkle of thyme.

Top with some egg and repeat the previous layers. Keep repeating until you are using your final egg mix.

Finish with a layer egg over the onions, spread over the sliced shallot and  sprinkle over the grated parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes cooked through.

Allow to cool and set a little before gently removing from the tin and cutting into portions or take this along, just warm for a picnic.

Chicken and Sweetcorn Hand Pies

Leftovers come back to life in these fun pies.

I tend to make up a BIG batch and then freeze them to be reheated at a later date, normally evenings when we are all coming and going a bit too much!

Makes 12 pies.

Ingredients

450g cooked chicken, brown and white meat

400g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 red onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 jalapeño, deseeded and finely diced

250g cream cheese

20g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks

salt and pepper

1 kg puff pastry sheets, 6 sheets

1 egg, beaten

smoked paprika

Method

In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft, add the chilli and garlic and cook for two minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and sweetcorn to the pan and mix well.

Add the cream cheese and mix until the cheese has melted and coated the chicken. Season well and allow to cool completely.

Once the filling has cooled, stir through the coriander.

Defrost the pastry and cut each sheet in half, spoon one twelfth of the filling onto one half of the cut sheet, brush the edges with egg and seal using a fork. Brush the top with egg and sprinkle over a little smoked paprika. Repeat with the remaining filling and pastry.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake the pies in batches for around 30 minutes until crispy.

 

Cornish Pasties

Leftovers can sometimes be a little lacklustre the day after and if I suggest them to the boys they are greeted with disgust, however, wrap them in pastry and call them something else and they are loved! I’ll never understand boys!!!

I often have leftover roast vegetables when I have a roast so these get used instead of the carrot to speed things up and use everything up!

If you don’t have time to make pastry just use blocks of defrosted puff pastry, you will need 2-3 blocks.

Makes 12 pasties.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

500g leftover roast lamb or beef, finely diced

3 carrots, finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

200mls leftover pan juice/ gravy or stock

45 mls Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten

PASTRY

600g plain flour

300g butter, diced

375 mls water

Method

Make the pastry first.

Weigh the flour into a large bowl. Add the diced butter and then form a dough with the water.

Turn onto the floured surface and roll gently into a rectangle, turn around 1 quarter and fold the ends in to form a block. Turn another quarter and roll again, fold on the ends and turn again, repeat 12 times.

Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for 30mins.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, over a medium heat, and add the onion and carrots, cook until the onion is translucent.

Turn the heat up high and add the meat, cook, stirring regularly, until the meat is beginning to crisp up.

Add the stock, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and bring up to a gentle simmer.

Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, season and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade. Line three baking trays with baking parchment.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut into 12 portions.

Take one potion and on a floured surface roll out into a rough circle, around 12-15 cm diameter, spoon some of the meat into the middle and brush the edge with beaten egg.

Bring the sides up to meet in the middle and crimp with your fingers to seal.

Place the pasty on the prepared tray and repeat with the remaining pastry.

Brush all of the pasties with beaten egg and then bake for 30-35 mins until golden and crisp.