SWEET LEEK PIE

Christmas is the time when your house is full of leftovers and by the time the New Year arrives you simply can't bare the sight of turkey sandwiches and mince pies anymore. We discovered this delicious pie last year and have decided to make it a yearly tradition to help us use up all those leftovers.

We add the Christmas Eve ham, Christmas dinner bird and any leftover brussel sprouts or other veg. It makes the most delicious meal and tastes that little bit different every year depending on what you add. Oh and of course you can have this pie any time of the year. If you don't have a left over bird just use chicken thigh fillets instead. Cut them into bite size chunks and pan fry with some olive oil salt and pepper.

Enjoy!








SERVES 6-8
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 1.5hrs

INGREDIENTS

• 2 rashers of smokey bacon, roughly chopped
• 1/2 bunch of fresh thyme, leaves removed
• olive oil
• a generous knob of butter
• 1.5 kg leeks, washed and trimmed; chop the white bits into chunks and finely slice the green bits
• leftover veg: brussel sprouts, savoy cabbage... (optional)
• leftover stuffing (optional)
• salt and black pepper
• 800-1kg of Christmas meat (roast turkey, duck, goose, ham...)
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 pints turkey, chicken, goose, duck... or veg stock (I am a strong believer in using every bit of your bird and homemade stock is the best)
• 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche
• 500g packet of puff pastry
• 12 jarred or vac packed chestnuts (already roasted and peeled)
• 2 sprigs of fresh sage, leaves picked
• 1 egg, beaten

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Add the butter and a little olive oil to a large saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the bacon and thyme and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all your leeks and fry for about 3 minutes until they are well coated with the butter. Season with a little salt and pepper and then pop the lid on. Turn the heat down to low to medium and leave the leeks to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to make sure they don't catch. 
2. When your leeks are ready add the meat and leftover veg and stir (you can also add some stuffing at this point if you have any left over).
3. Add the flour, mix it in well then pour in your stock and stir again. Add the creme fraiche, turn up the heat and bring everything to the boil. Taste for seasoning and then turn the heat off.
4. Pour the mixture into a fairly large sieve over a saucepan and let the gravy drip into the pan. You can leave it to do its thing while rolling out your pastry.
5. Get a deep baking dish ready (approx. 22 x 30cm). Dust a clean surface and roll out your puff pastry so it is about twice the size of your dish. Crumble the chestnuts over half the pastry then top with the sage leaves. Fold the other half of the pastry on top and roll everything carefully until you have a pretty equal rectangle that is big enough to cover your tray.
6. Check most of the juices from your leek mixture have dripped into the saucepan. If not give everything a little stir until there is hardly any juices left in the sieve.
7. Spoon the leek mixture into the baking tray and distribute evenly. Lay the pastry on top and tuck the ends under then gently score the pastry diagonally with your knife. Season your beaten egg with a little salt then brush the pastry with it. Bake the pie for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.
8. Once the pie is almost done, re-heat your gravy and serve the pie with some savoy cabbage or peas tossed in butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon and some crushed garlic.

This is literally one of the best pies I have ever had. A must try!!!

Recipe by Jamie Oliver and adapted by Etta.