Chicken, buttermilk & wild garlic pie

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 40 MINUTES, PLUS AT LEAST 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES CHILLING TIME / COOKING 35-40 MINUTES

FOR THE FILLING

1 tablespoon pomace oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 30g unsalted butter

3 leeks, thinly sliced (including the green) 30g plain flour

1 glass dry white wine

500ml fresh chicken stock 250ml buttermilk

1 bunch of wild garlic (about 30 leaves),

blitzed to a purée with about 50ml water 30g parmesan, grated good grating of nutmeg

FOR THE PASTRY

420g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 250g ice-cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes 60g parmesan, grated

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons ice-cold water

1 free-range egg, beaten

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Brown the chicken thighs until they are deep golden in colour. It’s best to do this in two batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Put the butter into the pan and once melted add the leeks and gently sweat for 10 minutes, until they are nicely softened but not coloured. Next add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the white wine and allow to bubble for a few minutes, followed by the chicken stock. Simmer gently to reduce for about 20 minutes then add the buttermilk. Continue to reduce for a further 20 minutes until the meat is falling apart and the sauce is well thickened. At the end stir through the wild garlic purée and parmesan, grate in the nutmeg and season well. Transfer the filling to a bowl and leave to chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or preferably overnight.

To make the pastry, put the flour, butter, cheese, cayenne and salt into a food processor and blitz until you achieve breadcrumbs. Add a little water at a time until the pastry just forms a ball. Be careful not to make it too wet. Tip the mixture onto a floured surface and bring together, making sure not to handle it too much. Cut into two pieces, twothirds of the pastry for the base and the other third for the top. Wrap each half in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to make the pie, dust the work surface with flour, then roll out the larger portion of pastry until it is the thickness of a dollar coin. Dust the rolling pin with flour, and carefully fold the pastry over it. Roll the pastry off the rolling pin and over a 23cm pie dish. Carefully line the base, pressing the pastry into the sides of the dish, but do not trim the edges at this stage. Fill the pie with the fridge-cold filling. Using a pastry brush, glaze the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg.

Roll out the smaller portion of pastry to make the top. Using the rolling pin, place the pastry lid on top of the pie. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess pastry to make a neat edge. You can push down the edges with a fork to seal them tightly, but I prefer to use the crimping method, pushing down with one finger towards the outside of the dish on the pastry edges. Pinch around that finger with the finger and thumb of your other hand to create a scalloped edge.

Roll out any excess pastry and using a cutter of your choice make a decoration for the lid of the pie (I went for wild garlic leaves). Brush with the beaten egg glaze and return to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190˚C/170˚C fan/gas mark 5. Glaze the top of the pie once more, then bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked all the way though. Delicious served with buttery mash and spring greens.