Turkey, leek and ham pie

Ingredients

• butter, for frying
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, sliced into lozenges
• 2 large leeks, sliced into 2cm/¾in pieces, washed
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• 200ml/7fl oz chicken or turkey stock
• 500g/1lb 2oz cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
• 200g/7oz cooked ham, cut into bite-size pieces
• 10 button mushrooms
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
• thyme leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 225g/8oz frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add a knob of butter and gently cook the onion until soft but not brown. Add the carrots and leek and continue cooking for five minutes until the carrots begin to soften. Cover with the cream and stock and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the turkey, ham, mushrooms, cayenne and herbs then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove the pan from the heat.

2. Pour the filling into a ceramic pie dish. Roll out the pastry to make a lid for the pie and strips to line the rim of the dish. Press the strips onto the rim, moistening them with a little water, then press down the lid firmly and brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the parmesan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown.

Tips

For a thicker pie filling, mix equal amounts of cornflour and water in a small bowl and stir this into the filling to thicken.