The online magazine
dedicated to the
discussion & revival
of British foodways.

NO.72
FALL/WINTER2023

Chicken, leek & bacon pies

Another fast pie recipe suitable even for a weeknight. The recipe makes four pies, and can be halved or doubled or otherwise multiplied without modifying the proportions.


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- 3 slices of Irish bacon cut into ½ inch pieces (or substitute smoky bacon)
- 6 chicken thighs, skinned, boned and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 3-4 leeks, washed carefully, trimmed and cut into thick semicircles about ¾ inch long
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon (or more) Worcestershire
- Splash of hot sauce
- about 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream
- 1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed twenty minutes to half an hour in advance.


Preheat the oven to 450°

  1. Set a skillet on medium-high heat.
  2. Brown the bacon lightly; then remove it from the pan.
  3. Add the butter to the hot pan until it bubbles, increase the heat to high and sear the chicken chunks until they show some brown streaks; remove them in turn.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and throw the leeks into the pan, stirring occasionally until they soften, usually in about 3-4 minutes or so.
  5. Add the chicken and bacon to the pan with the leeks, stir everything together, sprinkle in the flour and stir again until the flour loses its raw color.
  6. Add the sage, stock, Worcestershire and hot sauce, stir the filling and bring it to a boil.
  7. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stir in the cream and turn off the heat.
  8. Spoon the filling into the ramekins.
  9. Cut 5 inch diameter rounds of pastry (trace one of the ramekins before you fill it) to top each ramekin and crimp the edges vertically. Cut vents in the pastry and decorate it with scraps.
  10. Bake the pies on a cookie sheet until the pastry turns golden brown, usually in about 10-15 minutes.