Pure comfort

Oven fresh

The rain has been pouring down for four days now, and comfort food was the order of the day. Leeks were plentiful in the market, and with a bag of potatoes under my arm and some free range chicken breasts from our independent supermarket in town,I was ready for cooking. Tonight I cooked a home made pie with steaming buttery leeks,melting potatoes, succulent chicken pieces and last, but least in quantity, a surprise ingredient- basil I had dried back in August. I don´t normally put dried herbs in this pie, but I have to say this addition lent a subtle scent-sation to the dish.

Chicken, leek and potato pie
Serves 2

250g ready rolled puff pastry
2 medium sized chicken breasts skinned and baked in the oven

375g well scrubbed potatoes, peeled if you prefer

2 medium sized leeks

50g butter, flour, milk

1 egg beaten to glaze the pastry

Cut each potato into thick rounds. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes.Bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer the potatoes until tender to a knife point. Drain and set aside. Trim the leeks and discard the very darkest green parts. Slice the white and pale green parts into thick rings. Rinse thoroughly in a colander under hot running water. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the leeks. leaving them to cook over a low heat until they are soft and sweet. Be patient this can take 30 minutes at least. Combine the drained potatoes with the leeks, then add another large knob of butter. Allow this to melt, then sprinkle in some flour and stir to make soft paste, gradually add milk till you have your vegetables coated in a creamy white sauce.Stir in the pre-cooked chicken and season with salt and plentiful fresh ground black peppercorns. Grease and line a 20 x 28cm deep pie dish with two thirds of the pastry then fold in your filling. Fold the edges of the pastry in slightly over the filling and then brush these edges with egg. Carefully put the other third of the pastry onto the top of the filling and press it slightly onto the egg coated pastry to secure. Brush the top of the pastry with more egg and then carefully score three or four slashes widthwise across the pie. Bake in a hot oven at 200C/ gas mark 6 for 45 minutes till golden and crisp, Serve immediately.