Chicken & Ham Pie

This is a lovely recipe, its very spoonie friendly as it doesn't involve making pastry. Its also low fat, tasty and filling. If like me you love pie but want to watch your weight too then I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Spoon Use 2
Skill - some kitchen skills
cost £4  - halve the ingredients for 2 people

Serves 4  adults (if you have a small appetite or children this pie could serve 6)

Gadgets
Heat proof  deep Pie Dish - if you dont have a pie dish a cake tin will do
Pastry brush (if you don't have one use your finger or a clean small paint brush)
Electric food chopper - if you need one
whisk
sharp knife & board

Ingredients
2 chicken breast (you can use boneless thighs - use 4 large or 6 small) - remove the skin
2 slices of ham
1 medium leek
1 onion
1 vegetable stock cube
1/4 pint of milk
1 packet filo pastry
cornflour
small amount of vegetable or sunflower oil

Prep
Make 1 pint of stock - (using the stock cube and boiling water)
finely chop the onion (use electric chopper if needed)
thinly slice the leeks
cut the ham into pieces -  roughly 2" squares

1. put the chicken breasts into a saucepan (i cut them in half to reduce cooking time) pour on the stock, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer - poach gently for 20 minutes.  This keeps the chicken moist and the cooking liquor wont be wasted. Once poached turn off the heat and leave to cool

Rest once you have put the chicken on to poach

Making the pie filling

1. cut the chicken into bite size pieces (don't throw away the liquid) then set aside
2. put the onions and leeks into a fryingpan and cook gently, you don't want them to colour. Cook for 5 minutes until soft

4. Put the pan with the cooking stock back on the heat, add the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil

5. Mix 2 heaped tea spoons of corn flour with cold water so it forms a paste, pour into the stock - whisk constantly and turn the heat down, the liquid should thicken - you want the consistency of thick double cream. add more corn flour if it doesn't thicken enough. keep whisking until thick - remove from heat.

6.  Take the onions and leeks off the heat, add the chicken and ham pieces. Pour on enough sauce to coat the mixture - you don't want it swimming in sauce.Leave to go cold Don't be tempted to put the filling in the pie case while its still warm, you will end up with a soggy bottom - the same will happen if you use too much sauce. 

** I freeze the left over sauce to use another time. 

Rest

Make the pie

Turn on the oven - 180C gas mark 5

1. Take the filo pastry out of the packet - use 4 pieces of the pastry for the base of the pie. Using the pastry brush very lightly brush oil in the 1st piece of pastry, and lay the second piece on top in the opposite direction so it sort of forms a cross (filo pastry is oblong) brush the second layer and add the third and fourth at at angle so it forms a star shape- *see diagram

 lay the strips into the pie dish as you go, you want the edges overlapping the dish - don't cut them you want these bits in a minute.

Add caption

2. Put the cold filling into the dish spread evenly

3. split the rest of the filo pastry,  lightly oil and scrunch up a piece and put it on top of the pie - repeat until you have covered the pie in the centre

4. pull the overlapping bits of pastry and use this to seal the pie, again brushing with oil if you need it. Its a bit like paper so if you handle it gently you can manipulate it ok.

This is easier to do than describe :)

5. put the pie in the centre of the oven and cook for 30 - 40 minutes

6 while the pie is in the oven cook the veg you fancy having with it, we had mash, cabbage and carrots

Note: This pie freezes very well  - you can also make small individual pies. I have used filo pastry as its low fat and gives a nice texture. You can make short crust pastry, or if you dont fancy pie at all its lovely on its own.