Ingredients
- 1 medium sized leek
- 80g butter
- 1 heaped tbsp flour
- 300mls chicken stock plus roasting juices
- 15 leaves of tarragon, chopped.
- 10 ready-to-eat prunes, halved.
- A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- 1 roast chicken, free range if possible
- Salt and pepper
- 1 packet of shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg, beaten with a little milk
1. Set the oven to 185 degrees.
2. Trim the leek and cut in half lengthways. Rinse under cold water making sure there is no grit lurking anywhere. Chop into one-centimetre slices then melt the butter and sweat the leeks gently until they soften.
3. Add the flour and cook over a low heat for three minutes before adding the stock and the roasting juices, a little at a time, to get a smooth sauce.
4. Cook out for a couple of minutes then add the tarragon, prunes and nutmeg.
5. Take the meat and skin from the chicken, cut the meat into chunks and the skin into a fine hash. Fold through the leek sauce, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Put the chicken mix into a tart tin or shallow casserole.
7. Lay the pastry out in front of you. Cut three one-centimetre strips from the narrow side of the pastry. Brush the rim of the tin with egg then stick the strips to the sides. Brush the strips with more egg then cut out the lid and place it on top. Crimp the pastry together then decorate. I used a trellis style but feel free to be artistic.
8. Brush with eggwash and bake for 40 minutes until golden and crisp.
