Jono & Jules do food & wine

Who doesn’t love a chicken pie … and it’s the melty leeks that really make this one. We’ve used leftover roast chicken and baked ham, though turkey and ham would also be perfect of course.

Wine Suggestion: Domaine Bellevue near Touraine in the Loire has a vineyard that grows lovely, expressive and ripe Chardonnay. Maybe its the soil or the aspect, but in this cool climate more suitable for crisp Sauvignon Blanc, this vineyard shows it has something special and is a little bit warmer. A great value bottle too as there are hints of Burgundy for much less money.

Chicken and Ham Pie – serves 4

• 60g butter
• 3 leeks, trimmed and sliced
• 60g flour, plus a bit extra to dust
• 425ml milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 300g leftover cooked chicken, cut into chunks
• 150g cooked ham, cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 300g puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk, mixed with a little water and salt

Melt the butter in a heavy based pan with a lid. Add the leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes, then add a splash of water, cover and sweat for 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Put the pan back over the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Season the leek mixture, then add the mustard, chicken and ham. Heat through, then add the parsley and some grated nutmeg. Leave to cool.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Spoon the chicken into a pie dish (about 20 x 25cm). Sprinkle some flour over your work surface, then roll out the pastry until quite thin. Cut off a strip, wet it and press onto the lip of the dish. Put the rest of the pastry on top, pressing down firmly. Trim off any excess pastry, then crimp the edges with a fork or the point of a knife. Use the pastry scraps to decorate the top if you like. Make a few slashes in the top to let the steam out.

Brush with the egg yolk and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)