This creamy chicken, mushroom, and leek pie covered with crispy puff pastry is a classic British recipe, perfect comfort food that you’ll want to make again and again. A delicious recipe for a cozy Sunday lunch.
Making a pie might sound daunting, but it’s easier than you think, especially if you are using bought puff pastry. This creamy and delicious chicken mushroom and leek pie is no exception.
And if you like more chicken pie recipes, check out the Chicken Pot Pie in the Cast Iron Skillet, Chicken and Leek Pie (made with shortcrust pastry), or another traditional British recipe for Chicken and Ham Pie. Or make a Cast-Iron Skillet Shepherd's Pie without any pastry.
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Recipe ingredients
Chicken legs:
- You will need about 800 g/ 1.7 lb chicken. That will be three whole chicken legs (quarters), or three chicken thighs and three drumsticks. I prefer to buy the entire legs; they are more economical and easier to deal with in this recipe.
Mushrooms:
- Cremini or white mushrooms both work perfectly well. They are actually the same thing, just that cremini (brown) mushrooms are allowed to grow a little bit longer.
Leeks:
- You will need 450g/ 1 lb leeks; I prefer to give you the amount in grams (lb) because leeks can come in different sizes. I had only two rather large pieces, but according to their size, you might need more.
Puff pastry:
- Already rolled puff pastry from the refrigerator section of the supermarket.
- One sheet weighs 275 g/ 10 oz, is about 40 cm/ 16 inches long and 26 cm/ 10 inches wide. A little more or less is OK.
Spices:
- Black peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice, ½ chicken stock cube, garlic, nutmeg, parsley, dried tarragon and thyme, Dijon mustard, and fine sea salt.
Stock:
- I use 500 ml/ 2 cups from the stock used for cooking the chicken legs.
Other ingredients: butter, a little all-purpose flour, heavy cream, lemon juice, one egg, and some milk for the egg wash (I forgot to put the last three in the ingredient image).
Step-by-step instructions
Cook chicken:
- Place chicken legs, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspices, and ½ a stock cube in a large pot. Cover with cold water about 2 ½ cm/ 1 inch above the meat. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer gently until cooked through (1).
- Quarters will need about 25-30 minutes, thighs about 20-25 minutes, and drumsticks about 15 minutes. Check out this tutorial on How to Boil Chicken Legs.
- Lift the meat from the stock with a slotted spoon and sieve the stock to remove the rest of the solids. Let the meat cool while you prepare the sauce. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, and shred the meat (2).
Cook vegetables:
- Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the prepared mushrooms until golden, about 3 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Add the cleaned and sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add a splash of water and the garlic cloves after about 5 minutes (3).
- Remove from the pan.
Make pie filling:
- Add the remaining butter and grated garlic cloves, sprinkle the flour on top, and stir shortly until a thick paste is formed (4).
- Slowly add the measured hot chicken stock, stirring well to avoid clumps.
- Add the cream, mustard, dried thyme and tarragon, a few gratings of nutmeg, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir well and allow the sauce to simmer on low heat until thickened, about 3 minutes (5).
- Add shredded chicken pieces, cooked vegetables, two teaspoons of lemon juice, and chopped parsley to the sauce, stir to combine (6).
- Pour the chicken filling into a large ceramic baking dish of about 28 cm/11-inch diameter (7).
Pastry:
- Unroll the puff pastry sheet on the work surface.
- Cut about 3 thin strips from the pastry; they should be as thick as the pie dish's rim (8).
- Brush the edge of the dish with a bit of water and place these strips all around the edge of the baking dish. Brush the strips with a bit of water as well. This is an extra step, you can leave it if you like, but the extra edge helps the rest of the pastry stick better to the dish (9).
- Cover the pie with the pastry. Trim away the excess (10).
- Press down the rim using your fingers to seal the pie. Use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the middle of the pie, allowing the steam to escape.
- Optional: cut the remaining pastry pieces and decorate the top of the pie (11).
Bake:
- Egg brush: Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush the chicken, leek, and mushroom pie with the mixture. Stick the decoration pieces on the top of the pie and brush them with egg wash as well.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until deeply golden. Let rest for about 5 minutes and serve.
Expert tips
Use half a chicken stock cube to enhance the flavor of the stock; the meat will not cook long enough to develop a strong flavor.
Ensure that the leeks are cleaned well; the dirt finds its way under the many layers. Check out Roasted Leeks for detailed instructions on how to clean leeks.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, although I recommend using the legs, they are juicier and more tender after cooking. If using breast, their cooking time will be shorter, about 12-15 minutes. Check to see that they are cooked through; cut one in the middle. The meat should be completely white.
You can make the filling one day in advance. Let it cool, and refrigerate it in an airtight container. You can also freeze the filling for up to 3 months.
Only cover the chicken, leek, and mushroom pie with puff pastry just before baking.
Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
You can freeze the leftovers, but the pastry will not be that great anymore after defrosting and reheating. However, it is possible; the leftovers will still taste fine.
Reheat the pie in the preheated oven at 180°C/ 350°F for about 15-20 minutes until hot. I don’t recommend using the microwave; the pastry will go soggy.
How to serve?
Serve the chicken, leek, and mushroom pie immediately. The leftovers will still taste good, but the pastry will not be crispy anymore.
The pie is a complete meal; you will need a salad or some cooked or roasted vegetables on the side. Try it with a Green Salad with Yogurt Dressing, French-Style Green Peas, Buttered Peas, or Roast Pumpkin Salad.
More savory pies
Recipe
Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan large
- 1 Ceramic baking dish about 28 cm/11-inch diameter.
Ingredients
Chicken and stock:
- 3 chicken quarters 800 g/ 1.7 lb Notes 1 and 2
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 allspice corns
- ½ chicken stock cubes
Filling:
- 250 g mushrooms 9 oz Note 3
- 450 g leeks 1 lb Note 4
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 500 ml chicken stock 2 cups
- 125 ml heavy cream ½ cup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 5 gratings of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher more to taste, Note 5
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pastry:
- 1 sheet puff pastry Note 6
- 1 egg small
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Chicken and stock:
- Cook chicken: Place chicken legs, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspices, and stock cube in a large pot. Cover with cold water about 2 ½ cm/ 1 inch above the meat. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer gently until cooked through (Notes 1,2).
- Lift the meat from the stock and sieve the stock to remove the rest of the solids. Let the meat cool while you prepare the sauce.
Filling:
- Prepare vegetables: Clean and quarter the mushrooms. Clean and finely slice the leeks. Set aside separately.
- Cook vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan. Fry the mushrooms until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the cleaned and sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes until soft, adding a splash of water and the grated garlic cloves halfway through. Remove from the pan.
- Make the white sauce: Add the second tablespoon of butter, sprinkle the flour on top, and stir shortly until a thick paste is formed. Slowly add the measured stock, stirring well to avoid any clumps.
- Simmer sauce: Add the cream, mustard, dried thyme and tarragon, nutmeg, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir well and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Shred the meat: In the meantime, remove the skin and the bones from the chicken legs. Shred the meat into smaller pieces.
- Add meat, cooked vegetables, lemon juice, and chopped parsley to the sauce, and stir to combine.
- Pour the sauce into the baking dish.
Pastry:
- Unroll the puff pastry on the work surface.
- Cut about 3 thin strips for the pastry; they should be as thick as the pie dish’s rim. Brush the rim with a bit of water and place these strips all around the edge of the baking dish. Brush the strips with a bit of water as well (Note 7).
- Cover the pie with the pastry. Trim away the excess. Press down the rim using your fingers to seal the pie (Note 8). Use a sharp knife to cut a steam hole in the middle of the pie.
- Egg brush: Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush the pie with the mixture.
Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until deeply golden. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.
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