Chicken, Leek & Cauliflower Pie
A creamy baked pie with tender chicken breast, slow-sweated leeks, roasted cauliflower, and a silky herbed cream sauce, finished with a crisp potato and Gruyere crust.
How long will it take?
1 hour
What’s the serving size?
4
What do I need?
- 1 ½ cups cauliflower florets, cut into small pieces
- 2tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 medium leek, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts)
- 1 clove garlic, mined
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ¾ cup cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
For the Potato topping
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup cream
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
How do I make it?
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Toss cauliflower with half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes, until lightly caramelised.
- While the cauliflower is cooking prepare the topping by boiling potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and mash with butter, cream, Gruyere and salt, to taste. The mash should be smooth but thick enough to spread. Set aside.
- In a frying pan over medium heat add butter and reserved olive oil. Add chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. Sear chicken for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- To the same frying pan add shallots and leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in chicken stock and cream, then simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and silky. Add Dijon mustard, thyme, roasted cauliflower and seared chicken. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, then add parsley. Remove from heat.
- Reduce oven temperature to 190C.
- Spoon chicken mixture into a baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes over the top. Use a fork to rough up the potatoes, creating ridges that will brown in the oven. Sprinkle Parmesan over the potto and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the potato topping has turned golden.
- Let pie rest for 5 minutes before serving.
