Annie started her career as a chef, and is now an award-winning food writer who has written more than a dozen cookbooks. Her recipes are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
See more of Annie Bell’s recipes
Annie Bell
Annie started her career as a chef, and is now an award-winning food writer who has written more than a dozen cookbooks. Her recipes are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
See more of Annie Bell’s recipes
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Ingredients
For the filling
4 tbsp extra- virgin olive oil
1.6-1.8 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks*
500g leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
150ml white wine
300ml chicken stock or water
50g unsalted butter
40g plain flour
50g full fat crème fraîche
2-3 tsp Dijon mustard, to taste
1 x 80g pack watercress, coarsely chopped
For the potato topping
1.1 kg medium or large waxy potatoes, eg Charlotte, peeled and halved or quartered as necessary
1 x 30g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
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Get ahead
The filling can be made ahead and chilled, or frozen in the dish, with the potato added after defrosting. Leftovers reheat well
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat, season the chicken pieces and colour them on both sides (you will probably need to do this in batches), then remove them to a bowl. Pour off the fat, turn the heat down a little, add another tablespoon of oil and fry the leeks for a few minutes until softened and lightly coloured, stirring frequently, then remove them to a large bowl.
Return the chicken pieces to the casserole, add the wine, stock or water and a little seasoning. Press the chicken pieces down (they won’t be completely covered), bring the liquid to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 35 minutes until the chicken is just tender, stirring halfway through. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate, reserving the cooking liquid (skim off any fat) and, once they are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and shred the flesh, adding it to the bowl with the leeks.
Melt the butter in a medium nonstick saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute until it's a thick paste. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the cooking liquid and the crème fraîche until smooth. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently, and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency if required and whisk in the mustard to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and leeks, and mix in the watercress. Transfer this to a shallow 2 litre ovenproof dish.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer until tender, then drain through a colander and leave for a few minutes for the surface moisture to evaporate. Return them to the pan and mash them very coarsely, partly chopping them with the side of the masher. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt, and then the parsley. Spoon the potato on top of the chicken – it should be loose and craggy.
Heat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6, and bake for 35-45 minutes until golden and crisp on top.
The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.
Chicken & Leek Pie Cooking guidelines from frozen. Remove pie from outer packaging but leave the pie within the foil. Preheat the oven with a baking tray to 180°C fan / Gas 6. Place the pie onto the pre-heated baking tray and cook in the centre of the pre-heated oven and cook for 50-55 minutes.
Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.
It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.
Bake the pie on the center rack at 425°F for 20 minutes; then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375° (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Note for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning.
Do not thaw the pie. Unwrap the pie and bake it at 425ºF (220ºC) for 15 minutes.Reduce the temperature to 375ºF (190ºC) and bake it for an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until the centre is bubbly. A fruit pie can be stored at room temperature for up to two days.
Cooking guide: For best results, brush pastry top with beaten egg, place in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden. If frozen add 20 minutes to the cooking time and reduce cooking temperature to 170c.
If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.
You can also add tomato paste or fresh or dried herbs like oregano or thyme. Starchy root vegetables like potato, parsnips, turnips and swede will add body to the soup and turn it into a true meal in a bowl. Using a good-quality stock (or making your own) will enhance the flavour of the soup.
When someone says food is bland, it generally means the food is either under-seasoned, particularly with salt, and/or missing acidity (which, as the kids might say, means it's basic). Before serving, it is essential to taste your food and analyze both of these tastes and to adjust, as needed.
Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Prep time: 1 hr
