Comfort Food At Its Best!

As the winter blues cast their chilly spell, enveloping us in dark days and a longing for warmth, there’s a beacon of comfort awaiting in the kitchen. In the brisk embrace of winter, our bodies yearn for comfort, and what better way to indulge than with heart warming, health-packed comfort foods?

In this post we’re turning the tables on winter woes with a delightful Chicken and Leek Pie. This savoury creation is more than a recipe; it’s a cozy escape, promising to thaw the winter gloom and infuse your days with the comforting aroma of homemade goodness. Let’s dive into this culinary journey and usher in a season of heart warming comfort.

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, wholesome comfort dishes can positively impact our well-being. Nutrient-rich ingredients like leafy greens, whole grains, and lean proteins trigger the release of serotonin, the “feel-good” hormone. Additionally, the antioxidants in winter vegetables combat seasonal illnesses.

In the spirit of winter warmth, I’m delighted to share a refined Chicken and Leek Pie recipe inspired by a well-loved BBC original. This delectable dish, with a few tweaks of my own, it even earned a feature on the BBC’s digital platform!

Let’s savour the warmth, one delicious bite at a time.

   Chicken & Leek Vegetable Pie

Ingredients

• * 3 large chicken breasts – Patted dry
• * 2 stalks of fresh leeks – well washed and thinly sliced
• * 2 T of extra virgin olive oil
• * 2 bay leaves
• * 1 generous bunch of fresh thyme sprigs & parsley – twine with cotton kitchen twine tightly together
• * 2 onions finely diced
• * 2 stalks celery – finely diced
• * 2 garlic cloves minced
• * 2 organic chicken stock cubes
• * 3 cups button mushrooms – halved
• * 2 carrots diced
• * 1.5 cup cream ( 1/2 and ½ will do )
• * 1 cup milk plus ¼ cup for glazing
• * 4 T butter
• * ¼ cup white flour
• * Puff pastry to cover your dish

Directions:

• * Heat a heavy bottom pan (enamel cast iron is best) with 2T olive oil
• * Once hot add the chicken breasts to slightly sear – 1 min both sides.
• * Reduce heat to medium low, Add chicken stock cubes, garlic, bay leaves with 1 cup water and enough cream to cover the chicken. Add the herb bundle. Ensure chicken is covered. Turn chicken as needed during the poaching process. Low and slow is best!!
• * Reserve the liquids from the poaching.
• * Once done, using 2 forks, pull apart the chicken breasts into shreds. Take your time with this as shredded chicken will have the best flavour.
• * In a separate pan, sauté with butter the leeks, mushrooms, celery, onions and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper for 5-8 mins. They should still be translucent – not cooked through.
• * Add to the chicken pan with bay leaves and the herb bundle and add your reserve liquid from poaching and any additional chicken stock and cream as needed to make it creamy but not soupy.
• * Ensure this is on low/medium heat and add flour and combine thoroughly.
• * Taste to ensure the flavours are delish and add where needed ( more Thyme? Salt? Pepper?)   Allow to cool slightly.
• * Prepare your oven proof dish and pre heat oven to 425F
• * Roll out your puff pastry to a shape that will not only cover the dish but will allow for crimping around the dish as it will shrink during baking. A cute little cut out ( flower, rosette ) in the center will make it charming.
• * Pour chicken and veg mixture into your oven proof dish. Arrange the puff pastry and crimp the edges. Poke vent holes.
• * Baste the milk wash and add your embellishment ( cut out or rosette ). And baste again over all.
• * Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins given your oven temperature until the puff pastry is fully puffed and golden.
• *Allow to cool for 5 mins before serving.

Indulge in the ultimate winter comfort with this delectable Chicken Leek Pie that’s not just a treat for your taste buds but also a boost for your well-being

The careful selection of ingredients of chicken provides a protein-packed punch, while leeks and vegetables add a unique mild sweetness and a dose of essential vitamins. The marriage of these wholesome elements creates a symphony of flavours that will warm you up from the inside out.

So, bid farewell to winter blues and embrace the therapeutic powers of good food. Let this Chicken Leek Pie be your go-to remedy for the coldest days – a dish that’s as nourishing for the soul as it is for the body.

Winter has never tasted this good!

Let me know what you think!

Xoxo ~   Sandra

Credits to:

BBC Foods

Photo credits to:
Noelle Otto

Elina Volkova