LEEK, HAM & MUSHROOM PIES

As A Michelin-starred chef and father of five, Gordon Ramsay has cooked many a festive feast. Now, for our exclusive series, he’s sharing his brilliant, time- saving recipes to take the stress out of your celebrations. In saturday’s Weekend magazine, he showed his ultimate Christmas lunch with all the trimmings. Today, Gordon turns his attention to a scrumptious Boxing Day buffet.

SERVES 4

● 15g butter

● 4 leeks (white part only), trimmed and sliced

● Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

● 300g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

● Splash of dry white wine

● 150ml double cream

● 150ml leftover ham or chicken stock

● 1 tsp Dijon or coarse-grain mustard

● 200g cooked ham, cubed

● 300g ready-made puff pastry

● Plain flour, to dust

● 2 medium egg yolks, beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)

Melt the butter in a wide pan and add the leeks with some seasoning. Fry for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until the moisture released has cooked off. Add the wine and reduce right down.

Add the cream and stock and bubble until reduced by one-third or until thickened. Add the mustard and seasoning to taste. take off the heat and stir in the ham. Divide the filling among four individual pie dishes and set aside to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 190c/170c fan/gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out four neat rounds or rectangles, a little larger than the pie dishes. Brush the rims of the dishes with water. Cut strips from the remaining pastry and position on the wetted rims. Drape the pastry lids on top and press the edges on to the rims to seal. Crimp the pastry edges and cut a small steam hole in each lid with the tip of a knife. Use up any leftover pastry to make stars or holly shapes and add to the pies.

Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake the pies for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is piping hot.