Mummy's Chicken and Leek Pie

Mummy’s chicken and leek pie

Serves 2 with leftovers for next day

I have no idea where mum got this recipe. It is pure comfort food and is equally yummy served hot or cold the next day which is why I always make this amount! I tend to buy Elmlea cream is it lasts longer in the fridge - great if you live alone and only need a little at a time. My friend Mandy always requests this pie!

180ml chicken stock, from a cube

125ml glass of dry cider

2 chicken breasts

A large knob of butter

1 leek, chopped finely

1 celery stick, chopped finely

1 tbsp flour

2 tsp fresh thyme or lemon thyme leaves

125ml cream

1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or as much as you like)

1 sheet ready rolled shortcrust pastry

1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Extra thyme leaves

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Put the stock and wine in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer with a lid on for 10 mins. Then remove from heat and leave for another 10 mins. Remove chicken and reserve about 200ml of the liquor. Chop chicken into little pieces.

Melt the butter in another saucepan and cook the leek and celery until soft. Add the flour and thyme, and stir until bubbling and starting to brown the flour. Slowly add in the cooking liquor and cream, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and add the chicken and mustard.

Grease a pie dish and line with the shortcrust pastry. Pour in the chicken filling and top with the puff pastry. Seal or crimp the edges. Brush with egg and sprinkle over a few thyme leaves and a few sea salt flakes. Make an air hole.

Bake for 20-30 mins until the pastry is golden. Serve with new potatoes or mash and veggies. You could also make mini picnic pies using muffin tins!

Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin

Serves 2

A casserole for 2 people isn’t any bother to make but it might be worth doubling the recipe and freezing half for another time. In fact I think it tastes better when made the day before so you could just make extra and eat it again the next day – you will see from the pics I had it with polenta the first day and broad beans the next . By the way, the sauce will turn into jelly after it’s been in the fridge and there will be a layer of white fat on the top. Just scrape the fat off with a teaspoon and the stock will turn back to liquid when you reheat it.

Another thing to point out, the wine will make the chicken skin go an interesting dark purple! But it still tastes fab.

2 chicken thighs, skin on

2 chicken drumsticks, skin on

Black pepper

1 chicken Oxo cube

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

100g smoked bacon lardons

10 shallots, halved if large

3 cloves garlic, squashed

10 button mushrooms, halved

Small bunch parsley, tied twisted into a knot

1 tsp dried herbs

Few whole peppercorns

1 bay leaf

½ bottle red wine

Water for topping up

Chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 180C. Season the meat all over with pepper and crumbled Oxo. Heat a sauté pan with oil and butter and brown the chicken pieces all over. Transfer to a casserole dish. If there is lots of fat left in the pan drain most of it off.

Put back on the heat and fry the lardons, shallots, garlic and mushrooms for a few minutes until crisp and browned. Add all the herbs and peppercorns and pour in the wine. Leave to bubble away for a couple of minutes then tip over the chicken. Top up with water to cover the meat if needed.

Cook for 1 hour until meat is tender and the sauce is rich. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread, rice or polenta.

Chicken jalfrezi

Chicken Jalfrezi

Serves 2

This is another great leftovers kind of a dish. You can add extra veggies in such as courgette, beans, spring onions etc or use turkey, pork or lamb. It is a fairly dry, stir fried curry that can be made in 10 mins! Serve with either rice or naan. I once ate some leftover jalfrezi in a wrap at work the next day and stunk out the whole office – whoops!

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

¼ green pepper, sliced

¼ red pepper, sliced

1 chicken breast (or cooked leftovers), diced

1 green chilli, chopped (deseed if you don’t like too much heat)

½ tsp garlic paste or 1 chopped clove

1 tsp ginger paste (or 1 knob finely grated root ginger)

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1-2 tsp curry powder

1 squeeze tomato puree

Half a can of chopped plum tomatoes (save rest for a pasta sauce)

To finish:

A shake of garam masala (optional)

Fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a wok and fry the onion and red peppers until softened but not brown. Add the chicken and continue to stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Next add the chilli, garlic, ginger and spices and mix well so everything is coated for 1 minute. Then squeeze in about a teaspoon of tomato puree and half a can of chopped tomatoes. Keep cooking for a few more minutes until the sauce is thick and reduced. You may need to slacken with some water to get the consistency you like, but it is meant to be quite dry.  Sprinkle with garam masala and coriander and eat asap!