Chicken, Leek, and Bacon Filo Pie

Both delicious and hearty, this pie recipe is a comfort food classic which is loved by many family and friends. Being the secondary part to the series of using chicken three ways, we use roughly 100g of leftover chicken from grilling it in our within Spatchcock BBQ Chicken recipe.

We use a filo pastry for a lighter topping option, however you are welcome to use shortcrust pastry instead for a firmer option.

You can serve this chicken pie with seasonal vegetables, including our delicious lemon & honey glazed roasted carrots, or our beautifully crispy Hasselback potatoes to complete the dish.

Here’s how to make our Chicken, Leek and Bacon Filo Pie…

1. Start by making the white sauce for your pie filling. In a large pan add 100g of butter and allow it to melt. When the butter begins to foam, add the plain flour and use a wooden spoon to stir it in and create a paste. Cook this for couple of minutes until it begins to smell biscuity.
2. Then take the pan off the heat and add a splash of the milk, use a whisk to immediately stir this in to avoid lumps. As soon as the milk is absorbed, add another splash making sure to whisk it in fully. Alternate doing this and placing the pan back on the heat to allow it to bubble and thicken between each addition. Keep going until all the milk has been added and you are left with a thick, creamy, and smooth sauce.
3. Turn the heat off the white sauce and stir in the wholegrain mustard, Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Check the seasoning and then set aside.
4. In another pan, add the lardons and cook until they are beginning to turn crispy. Now add the sliced leeks and diced onions. Keep cooking these until they are fully softened and translucent.
5. Once the leeks and onion are soft, add the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Then add the leftover shredded chicken and warm through.
6. Finally stir this mixture into the white sauce and add the chopped tarragon.
7. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan.
8. Take a small pie dish and pour the filling in.
9. Take one sheet of filo pastry at a time and lay it onto your board.
10. Brush both sides with the final 100g of melted butter, and then use your hands to scrunch the filo up and place on top of the pie filling. Continue to do this with the remaining filo sheets until the whole pie top is covered.
11. Place it into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the filo is golden brown and crispy on top.
12. Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes before serving alongside your favourite green vegetables.