Recipe: Chicken and Leek Pie

Hey everyone! Another fabulous Lovethegarden recipe competition comes up, and here is another great recipe entry! This month, the featured ingredient is the wonderful sweet veggie that is the humble leek. It is one of my favourite vegetables, gorgeaus when just simply sauteed slowly for half an hour in uggins of butter, and a pinch of salt pepper and sugar, until caramelised. However, one of my other favourite ways of having leeks is in a pie- and this is a very simple recipe that really brings out the flavour of the leeks, and also keeps the chicken tender and moist within the pie. If any of you guys fancy entering the lovethegarden Spring a Leek! competition, enter your favourite leek recipe on your blog by the 8th of April for your chance to win £200 at a restaurant of your choice, or a runners up prize of a cookbook by author (and judge of the competition) Kerstin Rogers. Heres the link with all the details: http://www.lovethegarden.com/blog/spring-a-leek-recipe-competition

Chicken and Leek Pie (serves 2-3)

50g butter
2 large leeks, diced
1 large chicken breast, diced
Pinch salt sugar and pepper
100ml semi-skimmed milk
1 chicken stock cube
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
Beaten egg or milk (for glazed)

1. Sautee the leeks and chicken in the butter, covered, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add the milk and stock cube and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring often, until the pie mix has thickened and there is almost no liquid left. Season to taste, and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Lay the pastry sheet out onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and cut it in half. Pour the pie filling onto one of the halves, and top with the other half of pastry. Trim around the edges to look pretty, make a little pastry decoration if you like, cut a couple air holes in the top, and brush with beaten egg or milk. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then serve!