Chicken and Bacon Pie with Leeks

Impress your family with this decadent chicken, bacon and leek pie, featuring a crumbly pastry bottom and a crispy puff pastry top.

Pastry:
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (200 g)
butter, cold, chopped (100 g)
2 eggs
2-3 tsp. water, cold

Filling:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2-3 cm pieces (1.1 kg)
2 leeks, thinly sliced
Primo Triple Smoked Pan sized Bacon, chopped (250 g)
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 cup milk (250 mL)
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
¾ cup frozen peas, thawed (120 g)
1 sheet butter puff pastry, partially thawed (375 g)

Invert the base of a 20 cm springform tin. Line the base with non-stick baking paper and grease the sides. Combine flour and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and water and process until mixture just comes together. Turn pastry onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until just smooth. Roll out pastry on a sheet of lightly floured baking paper large enough to cover the base and sides of the prepared tin. Flip pastry over rolling pin and remove the paper. Ease the pastry into the tin, pressing gently into the sides. Roughly trim the edges. Refrigerate while making filling.

Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Lightly brown chicken in batches and set aside. Add leek and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add bacon and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Pour in milk and stir until smooth. Bring mixture to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Return chicken to the pan with thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Stir through peas. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5). Place an oven tray in the oven to heat up.

Spoon the cooled filling into the cold pastry case. Lightly whisk remaining egg. Brush the edges of the pie with egg. Lay the sheet of puff pastry over the pie, brushing the edges with egg to seal. It’s important not to stretch the pastry to avoid shrinkage. Trim the pastry edges and crimp or twist to seal. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg. Make 3 deep slits in the top of the pie. Place onto the hot tray and bake for 50 minutes. (If the pie is browning too much, cover with foil.) Bake for a further 10 minutes. Leave the pie in the tin for 10 minutes before releasing. Cut into wedges to serve.