I love chicken pie and this one has to be one of my favourites, the sauce is made with blue cheese and buttermilk and was so tasty. I used some three corner leeks (part of the garlic family I think)  from the garden as well as normal leeks but wild garlic or ramps could be used instead. I love cooking with blue cheese it has such a great flavour. I decided to thicken the sauce with egg yolks rather than corn flour to make it even more luxurious.  I think that pie is one of my favourite things to eat and make other than pasta I just love anything with pastry and sauce. I used this cute pie dish my dad bought over from France that has a built in pie funnel. I am just home from Tuscany and will defiantly have to share a post of all my photos as it was such a beautiful place.

Pastry recipe

220g unsalted butter

400g plain flour

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp cold water

 

Filling

400g chicken cut into small chunks

2 small leeks

1 bunch of asparagus

100g garden peas

Half a brown onion

5 stems of three corner leek or wild garlic (or ramps)

350ml buttermilk

200g stilton

Leaves from 3 sprigs of lemon thyme

Splash of balsamic vinegar

2 egg yolks

 

To make pastry

In a food processor or in a bowl by hand rub the butter and flour salt and pepper together until it resembled bread crumbs then add the egg yolk and mix then add a tbsp. of water and mix and then another until it comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 25 minutes In the fridge.

To cook filling

Finely chop the onion, leeks, asparagus and three corner leek or wild garlic and sauté with some oil until soft then add the chicken and cook thoroughly. Add the buttermilk, stilton and stir to combine then add the seasoning, balsamic vinegar and thyme to thicken the mixture add the egg yolks. Let cool.

Roll out half the pastry and line a pie dish and then add the filling then roll out the remaining pastry for the lid and place on top and crimp the edges together. Brush with a beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 40 minutes until golden.