PieClub: Leek & Ham Pie

Ingredients:

• 3-4 leeks
• big knob of butter
• salt & pepper
• cooked ham joint (roughly chopped)
• pastry (ready made)
• Or 250g plain flour, pinch salt, 62g butter, 63g lard in a blender, blitz until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add cold water (a tbsp at a time) & blitz on/off until it forms a lump of dough. Put into clingfilm & chill for 30mins. It will freeze for upto 3months.

This recipe will do a 7-8inch pie dish


Set the oven to 180-190°C

1. Chop 3-4 leeks into rounds (1cm across), put in a frying pan with butter, salt & pepper & gently sweat (low heat) for ages. The leeks should go so soft the layers of rings should fall out of them when you push them with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the roughly chopped ham (I've used the end of a roasted ham joint).
3. Add about 1/2pint stock (veg or chicken), bring to the boil and the simmer (uncovered).
4. Remove pan from heat, taste, season (if necessary) and add125ml (approx) single/double cream, stir well, return to heat & warm gently for another 5mins & switch off.

Pastry:
Whichever pastry you choose you need 2 thirds for the base and 1 third for the lid. 

1. Grease the pie dish well (you don't want to loose the bottom of your pie when you're serving it up).
2. Roll out pastry & lay in the pie dish, gently push into place & trim excess.

Put it all together:

1. Beat an egg in a dish.
2. Pour the leek & ham filling into the pie dish.
3. Roll out the pastry lid.
4. Before you put the lid on, use the beaten egg to moisten the top lip of the pie (the pastry base) so that when you drop the lid on, it will stick to the base.
5. Add the lid & press around the lid with your fingertips - to secure the seal. Next trim the excess pastry.
6. You can create a more secure join by pressing the back of a fork around the edge.
7. Put 2 holes in the top for steam to escape.
8. Paint the entire pie with egg & cook for 25-30mins.

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The second rule of PieClub is that we do not talk about PieClub.