Yesterday, November 30, was St. Andrew's Day, the official Flag Day of Scotland celebrating the Apostle Andrew. With a large portion of my ancestry heralding from Scotland, I wanted to celebrate in my own way and make a traditional Scottish meal. However, time, energy, and other commitments got in the way, so that I got as far as purchasing the ingredients from the local grocer and waited until today to make the meal... Cock-a-Leekie Pie.
I've made Cock-a-Leekie Soup before, but never Cock-a-Leekie Pie and wanted to give it a try.
Cock-a-Leekie Pie
Ingredients
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
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3 slices bacon cut into ¼” pieces
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2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced into rounds and scrubbed cleaned. Leeks are very sandy.
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2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
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½ cup diced pitted prunes
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⅓ cup all-purpose flour or corn starch for thickening
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1 14 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
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Purchased Pie Dough (or homemade ha!)
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1 large egg, beaten to blend OR olive oil spray
And because I was guided by the souls of departed Scottish relatives I also added items in the pantry that needed to be used, specifically petite red potatoes, garlic, and spinach. Don't tell me the peasants who made the scrumptious peasant food only followed recipes precisely. You know they used up every bit of scraps and morsels they had available to feed everybody.
Recipe Preparation
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Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 375°. Cook bacon until crisp and transfer to folded paper towels until it's needed.
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Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in same skillet of bacon drippings until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add a splash of water to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels with bacon.
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Add leeks to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water, cover, and cook until leeks are very soft, 5–7 minutes. Add chicken, leeks, thyme leaves, prunes, and and reserved bacon. This is where I also added thinly sliced potatoes, fresh spinach, and minced garlic.
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Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Whisk in ⅓ cup flour or corn starch. Whisk until smooth. Add to Chicken-Leek mixture and cook Whisk in broth, adding a little at a time, until smooth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5–7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
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Roll out 1 disk of dough and transfer to a cast-iron skillet or deep pie dish. Leave a 1” overhang if you have enough dough. If not, don't worry. Your meal will still be Instagrammable and delicious. Spoon filling into pie dough in skillet. Roll out second disk of dough and drape over filling. Cut a few vents in top; brush with egg or spray with a little olive oil.
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Bake until crust is golden brown, 50–60 minutes. Let pie cool slightly.
I should have let it cool before slicing it, but I couldn't wait.
It may not have sliced very pretty or look Instagram worthy, but it is savory and delicious!
Excuse me while I go get seconds.
