Things I have been cooking lately # 15: Leftover turkey and leek pie

I’m hoping by now everyone has managed to use up their leftover Christmas turkey, but just in case, here’s a good way to use it up.

Leftover turkey and leek pie

500g leeks, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 rashers of bacon, chopped into chunks
A sprig of fresh thyme
8 – 10 mushrooms, sliced
600g cooked turkey, torn into chunks (or you could just as easily use chicken)
1 tablespoon of flour
250ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon crème fraiche
300g readymade puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Place a large pan with a lid on a high heat and add in the bacon, the leaves from the thyme and a little olive oil. Fry off for a couple of minutes. Add in the leeks and cook until they start to soften – about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then turn the heat down to medium, put on the lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 so it doesn’t catch. Turn the oven to 200 degrees. Then chuck in the mushrooms and cook for 15 more minutes, continuing to stir regularly.

Remove the lid, add the flour and stir till combined. Add in the turkey and stir. Then add the stock and crème fraiche. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the turkey mixture into the sieve to drain. Depending on how you want to serve your pie/s you can either place the filling into a medium casserole dish (e.g. 10cm x 20cm) or into 3 individual ramekins (I used ones that were about 7cm in diameter).

Roll out the pastry on a floured board until it’s a size that will fit your casserole dish or ramekins and cut to size. Place the pastry on the top of the dish/es and press the edges against the sides. Score the tops and then brush with the beaten egg.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves 3 but you could easily dial up the proportions to make a bigger pie or more little ones depending on your need or quantity of leftovers.

A for Abbi, P for Paul and O for Osbiston!