My boyfriend’s mother makes these chicken and leek hand pies and they are so good I could easily scarf down two or three in a row. Best when piping hot, these savory hand pies are filled with chicken, leek, cilantro, dill and onion, which gives the pies a Mediterranean kick (rather than creamy or saucy, like a chicken pot pie). The crust is generous and just perfect. A crowd favorite.

Below, her recipe.

Chicken and Leek Hand Pies

For Pastry:
2.5 cups of all purpose flour
.5 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter
2 egg yolks
The reserved liquid from the cooked veggies
Enough milk to combine

Sift flour, add salt, cut butter in bits and rub in flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs, make a well, add egg yolks, rub well, add reserved liquid from cooked veggies and enough milk to combine, do not over work pastry, wrap in cling film and place in fridge for half an hour or more if you have time. You can even make it the night before, it rests well in the fridge.

Filling:
1 Cornish hen
2 large leeks,
2 bunches of scallions
1 bunch of coriander (cilantro)
1 bunch of parsley
half a bunch of dill
1 medium onion chopped
olive oil about 3-4 tblsp.
salt and pepper to taste.

Wash hen and remove all bits of visible fat. Boil in salted water until tender. Allow to cool and remove all flesh from bones and chop up. Set aside.

Wash and thinly slice all veggies, put olive oil and chopped onion in pan and wilt without letting it brown, add sliced veggies toss until they change colour, lower heat to low, place lid on and cook until tender. Place in sieve or colander and drain reserving the liquid for the pastry. -the reason you do this is so your pastry has a taste of the veggies.

Combine veggies and hen flesh and season to taste.

Take some pastry about the size of a golf ball, roll it out and brush with egg white before placing filling, close and brush top with egg white. I sometimes sprinkle a little coarse salt on top. Bake at 375 until golden.