Spanish Chicken and Leek Pie With Serrano Ham
The ultimate comfort food with a Spanish twist? 🇪🇸 This Spanish Chicken and Leek Pie With Serrano Ham is packed with tender chicken thighs, sweet buttery leeks, smoky Serrano ham and a rich, creamy smoked paprika sauce, all tucked beneath a golden, flaky puff pastry crust.
Equipment
- 12 inch cast iron skillet
- Premium Ceramic Garlic Grater
- Wooden cutting board
- Chef knife
- Cooking Tongs
Ingredients
For the Pie Filling:
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 750 g/ 1.5lb chicken thighs skinless, boneless, cut into 1.8 cm / 3/4" bite size pieces
- 50 g/ 1.75oz Serrano ham cut into small cubes or buy finely sliced
- 100 g / 3oz bacon or pancetta diced into 1cm / half inch squares
- 2 leeks cut into thin rounds
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 200 ml/ 6.75fl oz dry white wine
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp La Dalia Spanish sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup Chicken low sodium broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour optional for thickening sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pie Crust:
- Puff pastry sheet ideally a single sheet large enough to cover a large baking dish, (approx. 360g / 12 oz)
- 1 egg lightly whisked
Instructions
Step 1 - Brown the chicken and bacon
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Add the diced chicken and bacon and cook for 8 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.750 g/ 1.5lb chicken thighs, 100 g / 3oz bacon or pancetta
Step 2 - Deglaze the Pan
- Pour the wine in to deglaze the pan.200 ml/ 6.75fl oz dry white wine
- Give the bottom of the pan a scrape to bring up extra flavor and cook the wine until it has mostly evaporated, around 2-3 minutes.
Step 3 - Cook the Leeks and vegetables
- Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.1 onion
- Next, we add the leek and a splash of chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes or until the veg are soft.2 leeks, 1 cup Chicken low sodium broth
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, just until fragrant.2 garlic cloves
Step 4 - Build the Creamy Sauce
- Next, we build the sauce by adding the dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt and pepper (to taste). Stir to combine, then add the rest of the chicken stock and stir again until all ingredients combine.2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp La Dalia Spanish sweet smoked paprika, 1 tsp Dried thyme, Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional - Add some flour (one tablespoon sprinkled at a time) to thicken sauce to desired consistency.1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Keep the heat on medium and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes (until the leeks soften).
- Add the cream and stir through, then add a bay leaf and gently push under the sauce. Add the peas and mix well, then simmer for 5 minutes.1 bay leaf, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup frozen peas
Step 5 - Add the Chicken, Bacon, and Serrano Ham
- Return the chicken and bacon to the pan, along with the serrano ham and stir through. Simmer for another 5 minutes then remove from the heat.50 g/ 1.75oz Serrano ham
- Leave the sauce to cool for 15 minutes, the sauce will thicken on standing.
Step 6 - Bake the pie
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (fan-assisted oven)
- Roll out a puff pastry sheet and cover the cooled pan and trim the sides.Puff pastry sheet
- (Optional) If there is any leftover pastry, add it to the sides for a thicker crust.
- Press a fork gently around the rim of the pastry, and pierce the interior 5 or 6 times evenly with the fork.
- Baste the pastry with a beaten egg.1 egg
- Bake on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry becomes golden.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.