Gluten Free Chicken and Leek Pie + Shortcrust Pastry

Directions

MAKE THE PASTRY:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl: flour, sugar, salt and xanthan gum (if applicable).
2. Add the butter and mix with your hands until you reach a crumb like texture. Note: the butter should be cold, straight out of the fridge.
3. Add the eggs and mix until the dough starts to come together and then wet your hands slightly (to prevent sticking) and knead the dough until you reach a smooth ball.
4. The pastry is quite sticky and unmanageable at this point so wrap it up in cling film or store in a container and place in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the the filling.

FOR THE FILLING:

1. Finely chop the leeks, onions, carrots and garlic cloves and cut the chicken into very small cubes.
2. Heat up the butter and one tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium/high heat (the combination gives such a nice flavour) and cook the chicken until it’s nearly fully cooked.
3. Add the vegetables and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until the onion and leek start to soften up.
4. Add the chicken stock, mustard, a good dash of salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and simmer for a while until the the carrots are fully cooked.
5. Then add the milk and grated cheese. The quantities for the cheeses are just a guide really. Give it a taste and add as much or as little as you want.
6. Thicken the sauce: mix two tablespoons of cornflour with a tiny bit of water in small bowl (just enough to to form a thick paste) and then add it to the sauce little by little, stirring constantly, until it’s thickened enough for your liking. NOTE: I like keeping the filling quite thick, but if you want something creamier, feel free to add more milk and thicken less. But be careful as this can make the pastry a bit soggy.
7. Set aside and let it cool down while you roll the pastry and prepare the pie.

ROLL THE PASTRY / PREPARE THE PIE:

1. Divide your dough into portions (for the bottom and top layers): 4 if making two pies or 2 if making only one. Note: this recipe yields 2 pies, divide or multiply as needed.
2. Roll the bottom layer: dust some flour over your work surface and place one portion of pastry dough, then sprinkle some more flour on top of your pastry dough ball (to prevent sticking) and carefully roll it out. Keep sprinkling a bit of flour on top if necessary and fix any cracks by smudging them with your fingers. Note: I like to work on baking paper to prevent sticking.
3. Grease a pie dish with butter and transfer the rolled pastry into it, carefully pressing it into the pan and around the edges with your fingers, trimming off any excess dough that sticks out. Note: a good trick to transfer the rolled dough without it breaking apart is to roll it loosely around your rolling pin (as in the pictures above) and unroll it over the pie dish.
4. Prick the bottom of your pies with a fork (to prevent it from rising too much).
5. Brush some beaten egg all over the pastry with a pastry brush. This creates a barrier between the pie crust and the filling to prevent it from going soggy.
6. Bake the bottom pie crusts alone in a pre-heated oven (200C / 390F) for 10-15 mins, on the middle shelf.
7. Add your chicken and leek filling.
8. Roll the top layers and transfer on top of your pies following the same steps as above. You can also cut them into strips for lattice pies.
9. Brush some beaten egg all over with a pastry brush.
10. Bake your gluten free chicken and leek pie for 30-35 mins, until the pastry turns a nice golden brown colour.