Chicken, Leek, and Bacon Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 50 g butter

• 4 slices streaky bacon, chopped

• 1 large leek, washed and chopped

• 2 tsp fine sea salt (use less if your stock is seasoned)

• Black pepper, to taste

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

• 10 g sage, leaves picked and chopped

• 5 g thyme, leaves picked and chopped

• 1/4 cup plain flour

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1 cup pure cream

• 3 tbsp crème fraîche

• 2 large cooked chicken breasts, shredded (about 4 cups of meat)

• 1–2 sheets all-butter puff pastry, cut into 5 cm squares

• 1 egg, for egg wash

• Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 240°C conventional (220°C fan-forced). Heat a wide oven-safe sauté pan (about 30 cm) over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped bacon, and leeks, sautéing for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, half the salt, and black pepper, and continue cooking for 5–6 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and toss to coat the vegetables in the butter. Pour in the white wine and let it cook off for about a minute before adding the chicken stock, cream, and crème fraîche along with the remaining salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Fold in the shredded chicken, then turn off the heat. Top the mixture with overlapping puff pastry squares until nearly the entire surface is covered. Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C conventional (160°C fan-forced) and continue baking for another 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Allow the pot pie to sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.