Hairy Bikers' creamy chicken, ham and leek pie

by Steven Trew-19 April 2026Medium

Hairy Bikers' creamy chicken, ham and leek pie

Prep Time30 min

Cook Time60 min

Total Time90 min

Servings4

Unleash this crowning glory upon your guests – a delicious chicken and ham pie, resplendent with leeks and a creamy sauce, and bubbling with homemade goodness.

Imported RecipeOriginally from: www.bbc.co.uk

Method

0
Heat the chicken stock in a large lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the water with tongs and place on a plate. Pour the cooking liquor into a large jug.
1
Melt 25g of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining 50g butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
2
Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each addition. Gradually add 250ml of the reserved stock and the wine, if using, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
3
Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
4
For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and water and blend briefly until the mixture forms a ball. Portion off 250g pastry for the lid.
5
Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around 5mm thick and 4cm larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.
6
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to preheat.
7
Cut the chicken breasts into 3cm pieces. Stir the chicken and ham into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the pastry on the rim of the dish with beaten egg.
8
Roll out the reserved pastry for the lid. Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim away any excess pastry.
9
Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg.
10
Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.