Chicken and Leek Pie

 I'd never used leeks before until this recipe. I am sorry I waited so long to use them. They are quite tasty.

Pie Filling 

16 oz. chicken stock
3 chicken breasts
75g. butter
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and cut into ½ inch slices

2 garlic cloves, crushed
55g. plain flour
7 oz. milk
2–3 Tbsp. moscato (optional)
5 oz. heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Pie Pastry 

350g. plain flour, plus extra for dusting
175g. butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cold water
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

To make the pie filling: Heat the stock in a saucepan. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer. 

Cover the saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the stock. Reserve the stock for later.

In a very large saucepan, melt 25g. of the butter. Then stir in the leeks and coat with the butter. Cook over medium low heat for several minutes. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute.

Add in the remaining butter. As soon as it has melted, stir in the flour. Stir continuously for 30 seconds.

Pour the milk in slowly, about an ounce at a time. Stir very well between each add, making sure the milk gets absorbed. 

After all the milk is incorporated, add 10 oz. of the reserved chicken stock and the moscato (if you're using it). Stir until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't let this boil or your milk will break. Gentle simmer only.

Remove from the heat, stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with cling film, making sure to touch the surface of the sauce with the film so a skin won't form on it. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put a baking sheet in the oven to warm up.

To make the pie pastry: Add the flour and butter to a food processor (or cut with a pastry blender) until the mix resembles course breadcrumbs. 

In a small bowl, mix the egg and cold water together, beat lightly. Add to the food processor. Process until the mixture comes together into a ball. 

Portion off 250g. of the pastry for the pie lid.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around ¼ in. thick and 1½ in. larger than the 9 inch pie dish. 

Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides. 

Cut the chicken breasts into bitesized pieces. Stir the chicken into the cooled sauce. 

Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. 

Roll out the reserved pastry for the pie lid. Cover the pie with the lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry. 

Make a small hole in the center of the pie with the tip of a knife. 

Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. 

Bake on the preheated tray in the center of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.  

One of my all-time favorite savory pies!

Adapted from a BBC recipe.

Guinness Braised Onion Quiche

Plan ahead... needs to chill...

Pie crust

Pie Crust:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-5 Tbsp. cold water

Quiche:
5-6 slices bacon, diced
1 lb. onions, sliced

Onions just starting to cook

black pepper
1/2 -1 c. Guinness
2 tsp. mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c.milk
1 tsp. cornstarch
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder (or more if you prefer)

To make the crust: Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor to mix. Then add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, about 6-8 times. Add a tablespoon of water at a time pulsing in between until it starts to clump together.

Onions caramelizing

Place the dough on a clean surface and shape it into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle about 1/8 of an inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough into the pie plate and form it.

To make the quiche: Preheat oven to 375 F.

Quiche before baking

Cook the bacon in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Keep the bacon grease.

Add the onions to the bacon grease. Saute about 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Then add in 1/4 - 1/2 c. Guinness. Simmer over medium low heat until the liquid has evaporated. Takes about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally. Repeat this process - add the rest of the Guinness, saute again until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Remove from heat. Add in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together.

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and the cornstarch. Pour into the onion mixture.

After baking

Add the eggs, only 1/2 of the cheese, salt, cayenne, and more pepper if you'd like. Mix it all up. Pour into the prepared pie dish. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is turning golden. Enjoy!

Here's a link to the original recipe I adapted: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/03/guinness-braised-onion-and-aged-white.html.  This guy has some good recipes on his blog; you should check him out.

Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Tiger Stripes

Pie Crust:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. shortening

Filling in the pie crust

2-3 Tbsp. cold water

Pumpkin Filling:
1 egg
1 1/4 c. canned pumpkin
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 1/4 c. cream 

Chocolate Stripes:
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. filling mixture, reserved

To make the pie crust: Measure flour and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened (1-2 teaspoons water can be added if needed).

Before baking

Gather dough into ball. On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, shape into flattened round. With flour covered rolling pin, roll dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Fold pastry into quarters. Unfold and ease into the pan.

Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pan. Use a fork to press the pastry around the edge. Fill with filling.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 425 F.

Beat egg slightly, then beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into pastry lined pie pan, reserving 1/2 cup for the chocolate stripes.

Ready to eat!

To make the chocolate stripes: Melt the chocolate and butter together. Whisk together with the reserved filling mixture. Scoop into a piping bag with a flat piping nozzle. Pipe tiger stripes onto the top of the pie filling. The chocolate will sink a little into the filling, so keep piping the chocolate along the stripes you've made.

Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 350 F. Bake 35 minutes more. Let cool before serving. Refrigerate the leftovers.

Peanut Butter Pie

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 c. creme filled chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. whipping cream
sugar to taste
chocolate chips and whipping cream, melted


Mix the crumbled cookies and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Chill the pie shell while preparing the mixture.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in peanut butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream until firm peaks. Add sugar to taste to the whipping cream while you're beating it. Fold in whipping cream to the cream cheese and peanut butter mixture. Spoon into crust.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and whipping cream for 30 seconds. You can either pour it over the whole top or make your own decorative design.

The recipe says to only chill for 2 hours, but I find there's a much fuller flavor if you let it chill overnight.

Beef and Caramelised Onion Pie

1/3 c. oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Flour covered beef

1 tsp. brown sugar
2 lb. lean rump steak, diced
1/4 c. plain flour
4 cloves garlic, crushed
7 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 c. beef stock
5 oz. stout (I used Guinness)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. thyme
11 oz. potatoes, diced

Simmering

2 carrots, diced
1 1/4 lb. quick flaky pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes, or until light brown. Then add the sugar and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until the onion caramelizes. Remove from the pan. Wipe the pan clean. (Or just cook in a separate pan like I did)

Filling

Toss the beef in flour and shake off the excess. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and cook the meat in batches over high heat until browned. Return all the meat to the pan, add the garlic and mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock, stout, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add the potato and carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Pie!

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a pie dish. Pour in the filling, then top with the onion. Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking paper until it is 1 inch wider than the pie dish (We tried using wax paper, but that did not work). Cut a 3/4 inch strip around the edge of the pastry circle, brush with water and place damp side down on the rim of the dish.

Cover with the remaining pastry, pressing the edges together. Knock up the rim by making small slashes in the edges of the pastry with the back of a knife. Re-roll the trimmings and use them to decorate the pie. Brush with egg and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

From The 1000 Best Recipes