Harts Kitchen
Learn by Harts
Make
Make aa Pie
Pie to
to Die
Die For
For
The idea of tackling this classic might fill you
with dread, but, as The Dorset Pie Co. show, the
only filling here is deep, local and delicious…
T
he pie is an absolute British classic
and, like other staples of this fair
isle (see sausages, beer, bread), has
under gone a much deserved
renaissance recently as part of the
move towards local, seasonal food
after decades of neglect. Which makes sense,
because it’s the perfect shortcrust delivery
method for delicious local ingredients. Case in
point are The Dorset Pie Company. Located in
Weymouth, they’re proud to source the best
local produce for their handmade pies and have
a string of awards and prime time endorsements
from celebrity pie fan Chris Evans to show for it.
Founders Gemma and Jason share their recipe
for their chicken, ham and leek beauty, a firm
favourite at all the farmers markets and
festivals they sell at. With the right kit, your own
pie dynasty could start right here.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400F/Gas 6.
2. Roast the chicken according to the
instructions. Leave to cool, then strip off the
meat. Reserve the juices for your sauce.
3. Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a large, heavybased saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks
and sauté for two minutes, until just softened but
not brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as
soon as the butter has melted. Cook for about 30
Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
250ml chicken stock
75g butter
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g plain flour
200ml milk
2-3 tbsp white wine (optional)
150ml double cream
150g diced lean ham – or ham hock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Shortcrust pastry
350g plain flour
200g cold butter, cubed
Ice cold water
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water to glaze
23cm pie dish or 4 individual
seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Slowly pour in the milk a little at a time,
stirring to prevent it going lumpy. Gradually add
250ml/10fl oz of the reserved stock and the wine.
Stir until the sauce is smooth and thickened
slightly. Bring to a simmer, cook for 3 minutes.
5. Season with pepper and add a small pinch of
salt if required. 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.
6. For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food
processor and blend on pulse until the mixture
resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the processor
still running, add ice cold water until the mixture
just begins to form a ball. Portion 250g/10oz off
for the pastry for lid. Wrap both balls in cling film
and pop in the fridge for 20 mins.
7. Remove the pastry from the fridge and let it
come to room temperature.
8. Roll the large ball of pastry out on a lightly
floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until
it’s rolled to a thickness of about 5mm/¼in thick
and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish. Place
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