Irish chicken and ham pie
Creamy chicken, ham and leek pie under puff pastry
IrishChicken and ham pie is the family supper of Irish homes from Westmeath to Wicklow, the way to stretch a roast chicken and a piece of cooked ham into another meal, and a staple of hotel carveries. The ham is pork. Both meats sit in a creamy leek and mushroom sauce under a puff pastry lid. Chef's tip: let the filling cool before putting on the pastry, or the butter in the puff melts and it won't rise.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt the 1 ⅜ oz butter in a wide pan over a medium heat and brown the 1 ⅓ lb boneless chicken thighs for 5 minutes. Add the 2 leeks and 7 oz mushrooms and cook 6 minutes, until soft.
11 minStep 2: Stir in the 1 ⅜ oz plain flour for 1 minute, then gradually add the 1 ¾ cups chicken stock and ¾ cup single cream, stirring, and simmer 8 minutes until thick. The chicken should reach 165°F in the thickest piece, with no pink.
10 minStep 3: Stir in the 9 oz cooked ham (pork), 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 1 tsp thyme leaves, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, tip into a 1.5 litre pie dish and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Lay the 11 ½ oz ready-rolled puff pastry over the dish, trim, press the edges and cut a steam hole. Brush with 1 egg.
5 minStep 5: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. A common mistake is pastry on hot filling, which goes soggy underneath.
35 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does irish chicken and ham pie take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Chicken kdra with almonds
Kdra takes its name from the tall copper pot it was cooked in, and in Fez it is a festive dish for weddings and family gatherings rather than an everyday tagine. The sauce is the point: kilos of onion melted down with smen, saffron, white pepper and cinnamon until it turns pale gold and creamy, with no tomato or paprika at all. Soft chickpeas and almonds simmered until tender go into it, and the whole thing is scooped up with bread. Expect a mellow, perfumed, buttery richness rather than heat. Chef's tip: soak and simmer the blanched almonds with the chicken; they lose their crunch and become creamy like the chickpeas, which is how Fassi cooks like them.
Moroccan
Mar i muntanya
Sea and mountain: the cooks of the Empordà, between the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava, have long put chicken and seafood in one pot, and this version with prawns is the one most families make for a celebration lunch. The sauce is a dark sofrito finished with a picada of almonds, hazelnuts, garlic and a little dark chocolate, which adds depth rather than sweetness. It uses wine; the alcohol-free option is in the ingredient list. Chef's tip: cook the prawns only briefly at the start and return them at the end, so they stay juicy while the chicken braises.
Spanish
Chicken tikka masala
Marinating the chicken in spiced yoghurt keeps it tender, and a few minutes under a hot grill gives it the smoky char of a tandoor. The sauce is rich but not heavy, finished with a little cream and dried fenugreek leaves.
Indian