Ingredients

• 675g/1½lb boneless chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 fresh thyme
• 2 fresh marjoram
• 65g/2½oz butter
• 4 leeks, thickly sliced
• 225g/8oz button mushrooms, halved
• 40g/1½oz plain flour
• 150ml/¼ pint milk
• 100g/4oz cooked ham, diced
• 450g/1lb puff pastry
•   beaten egg, to glaze
•   seasoning

Method

1. Place chicken in a flameproof casserole, add bay leaf, thyme and marjoram and enough cold water to just cover; bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Melt the butter and fry leeks and mushrooms for 2 minutes; remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir flour into the pan; cook for 1 minute.
3. Strain the chicken, reserving 450ml/¾ pint stock. Roughly chop the chicken and transfer to a 1.2 litre/2 pint pie dish.
4. Gradually stir the reserved stock and the milk into the flour mixture, then bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Simmer gently for 2 minutes; season.
5. Stir the leeks, mushrooms and ham into the sauce and spoon over the chicken. Leave to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is 2.5cm/1in larger than the pie dish. Cut off a 2.5cm/1in strip from around the pastry, dampen and press around the rim of the dish.
7. Dampen the pastry rim and lay the lid over the pie, pressing the edges together; knock up and flute. Re-roll the trimmings for decoration. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden.

Notes