Chicken and Leek Pie with Bacon (Print)

Creamy chicken and leek filling with smoky bacon, wrapped in golden flaky pastry for the ultimate comfort meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
02 - 3.5 oz smoked bacon lardons or diced bacon

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

→ Sauce & Dairy

08 - 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1 2/3 cups whole milk
11 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock
12 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Pastry

16 - 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, approximately 11.3 oz
17 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (180°C fan-assisted).
02 - In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel.
03 - In the same pan, add chicken pieces and brown on all sides for 5-6 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Add butter to the pan, then stir in onions, leeks, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
05 - Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, stirring constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste and form a paste.
06 - Gradually pour in milk and chicken stock while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until thickened.
07 - Stir in cooked bacon, browned chicken, heavy cream, mustard, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
08 - Pour the cooled filling into a pie dish with 1.6 quart capacity.
09 - Unroll pastry and lay over the filling. Trim excess edges and press firmly to seal. Cut 3-4 small slits in the top for steam escape. Brush entire surface with beaten egg.
10 - Bake for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden and crisp. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken thighs stay impossibly tender instead of drying out the way breast meat tends to do.
  • Leeks have this gentle sweetness that nobody expects until they taste it melting into the cream sauce.
  • You can make it entirely on the stovetop, then let the oven do the heavy lifting while you set the table.
02 -
  • If your sauce looks too thick before adding the cream, it will tighten further as it cools—err on the side of slightly looser.
  • Always let the filling cool before topping with pastry, or the bottom crust will steam and never crisp properly.
  • The egg wash is not optional if you want that golden, crackly finish that makes people actually want to eat the pastry.
03 -
  • Brown your chicken and bacon properly at the start—this is where most of your flavor comes from, and rushing it shows in the final dish.
  • Taste and season the filling aggressively before it cools, because flavors seem to flatten as temperature drops and you'll want to account for that.
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