I always think the combination of chicken and leeks is fabulous. I made this cock-a-leekie pie at home recently when I had some cooked ham and some roast chicken in the fridge. You could also try it with turkey. It was delicious with a salad, but I also like it with buttered peas. Not everybody loves prunes, so leave them out if you like. For the puff pastry, you might try Roll It pastry, which is homemade by Mairead Finnegan in Kells, Co Meath and is a great success.
Toad in the Hole is like a large Yorkshire pudding with sausages. Make sure to get good quality sausages – either from your butcher or a premium range in the supermarket. The gravy gives good moisture and I like to have Worcestershire sauce in any gravy or stew. For stock, I love Carol’s Stock made in Derry. Big congratulation to Carol for her recent Chef’s Larder Award in the Blás na hÉireann Awards in Dingle!
Happy Cooking,
Neven
Cock-a-Leekie Pie
Serves 4–6
1 tbsp rapeseed oil200g smoked bacon lardons2 large leeks, cut into 2.5cm rounds3 carrots, halved lengthways and cut into 2.5cm slices2 celery sticks, finely chopped 2 bay leaves2 fresh thyme sprigs 100ml white wine 50g butter75g plain flour 600ml chicken stock 100ml cream1 tbsp Dijon mustard5g fresh tarragon leaves, chopped1 whole rotisserie chicken
(preferably free-range)75g ready-to-eat prunes, finely chopped1 x 320g pack of ready-rolled puff pastry1 egg, beaten with a little milksea salt and freshly ground black pepper1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to low heat. Sauté the lardons for about five minutes, until they have released their fat and have begun to turn golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl.
2 Add the leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme to the pan, season generously and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the leeks are soft. Pour in the wine and allow to bubble for a few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Tip the vegetables into the bowl with the lardons and discard the cooking herbs.
3 Return the pan to a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add the cream and mustard and allow to bubble down for a few minutes. Season to taste, then fold in the vegetables and lardons with the tarragon.
4 Peel the skin off the chicken and shred the meat into large chunks. Place in a 2.75-litre pie dish or enamel roasting tin. Scatter the chicken over the bottom, followed by the prunes, then spoon over the sauce to cover completely.
5 Use the puff pastry to cover the pie dish and crimp the edges against the dish, using a little of the beaten egg to make sure it sticks. Cut a small cross on top, then brush the top with the beaten egg too. At this stage, the pie could also be covered with cling film and kept in the fridge, or frozen.
6 To cook, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6). Bake for 35–40 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Serve straight to the table with green salad or buttered peas.
Toad in the Hole
Serves 4
100g plain flour 2 eggs150ml milk8 good-quality pork sausages1 onion, thinly sliced2 tbsp rapeseed oil¼ tsp fresh thyme leavesFor the gravy
1 tbsp rapeseed oil1 onion, thinly sliced2 tsp plain flour2 tsp prepared English mustard 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 300ml fresh beef stock1 tbsp redcurrant jellyFor the vegetables:
200g fine French beans 200g frozen peasa knob of buttersea salt and freshly ground black pepper1 Preheat the oven to 220°C
(425°F/gas mark 7).
2 First, make the batter. Put the flour in a bowl and break in the eggs, then slowly mix in the milk. Beat until smooth.
3 Place the sausages in an ovenproof baking dish, scatter over the sliced onion and drizzle the oil on top. Roast for 15 minutes.
4 Remove the dish from the oven and pour the batter over and around the sausages, then return to the oven and cook for another 35 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the batter is golden on top. Scatter over the thyme leaves.
5 Meanwhile, make the gravy. Heat the oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for five minutes, until golden. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring until thickened. Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire, then gradually add the stock, stirring until smooth. Stir in the redcurrant jelly and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until thickened to a nice gravy consistency. Pour into a gravy jug when ready to serve.
6 Trim the French beans and place in a pan of boiling salted water with the peas. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, until tender, then drain and toss in the butter.
7 Serve the toad in the hole straight to the table family-style with the gravy and vegetables.
Read more
Neven Maguire: Pasta perfection
Neven Maguire: quick and tasty school-night meals
I always think the combination of chicken and leeks is fabulous. I made this cock-a-leekie pie at home recently when I had some cooked ham and some roast chicken in the fridge. You could also try it with turkey. It was delicious with a salad, but I also like it with buttered peas. Not everybody loves prunes, so leave them out if you like. For the puff pastry, you might try Roll It pastry, which is homemade by Mairead Finnegan in Kells, Co Meath and is a great success.
Toad in the Hole is like a large Yorkshire pudding with sausages. Make sure to get good quality sausages – either from your butcher or a premium range in the supermarket. The gravy gives good moisture and I like to have Worcestershire sauce in any gravy or stew. For stock, I love Carol’s Stock made in Derry. Big congratulation to Carol for her recent Chef’s Larder Award in the Blás na hÉireann Awards in Dingle!
Happy Cooking,
Neven
Cock-a-Leekie Pie
Serves 4–6
1 tbsp rapeseed oil200g smoked bacon lardons2 large leeks, cut into 2.5cm rounds3 carrots, halved lengthways and cut into 2.5cm slices2 celery sticks, finely chopped 2 bay leaves2 fresh thyme sprigs 100ml white wine 50g butter75g plain flour 600ml chicken stock 100ml cream1 tbsp Dijon mustard5g fresh tarragon leaves, chopped1 whole rotisserie chicken
(preferably free-range)75g ready-to-eat prunes, finely chopped1 x 320g pack of ready-rolled puff pastry1 egg, beaten with a little milksea salt and freshly ground black pepper1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to low heat. Sauté the lardons for about five minutes, until they have released their fat and have begun to turn golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl.
2 Add the leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme to the pan, season generously and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the leeks are soft. Pour in the wine and allow to bubble for a few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Tip the vegetables into the bowl with the lardons and discard the cooking herbs.
3 Return the pan to a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add the cream and mustard and allow to bubble down for a few minutes. Season to taste, then fold in the vegetables and lardons with the tarragon.
4 Peel the skin off the chicken and shred the meat into large chunks. Place in a 2.75-litre pie dish or enamel roasting tin. Scatter the chicken over the bottom, followed by the prunes, then spoon over the sauce to cover completely.
5 Use the puff pastry to cover the pie dish and crimp the edges against the dish, using a little of the beaten egg to make sure it sticks. Cut a small cross on top, then brush the top with the beaten egg too. At this stage, the pie could also be covered with cling film and kept in the fridge, or frozen.
6 To cook, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6). Bake for 35–40 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Serve straight to the table with green salad or buttered peas.
Toad in the Hole
Serves 4
100g plain flour 2 eggs150ml milk8 good-quality pork sausages1 onion, thinly sliced2 tbsp rapeseed oil¼ tsp fresh thyme leavesFor the gravy
1 tbsp rapeseed oil1 onion, thinly sliced2 tsp plain flour2 tsp prepared English mustard 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 300ml fresh beef stock1 tbsp redcurrant jellyFor the vegetables:
200g fine French beans 200g frozen peasa knob of buttersea salt and freshly ground black pepper1 Preheat the oven to 220°C
(425°F/gas mark 7).
2 First, make the batter. Put the flour in a bowl and break in the eggs, then slowly mix in the milk. Beat until smooth.
3 Place the sausages in an ovenproof baking dish, scatter over the sliced onion and drizzle the oil on top. Roast for 15 minutes.
4 Remove the dish from the oven and pour the batter over and around the sausages, then return to the oven and cook for another 35 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the batter is golden on top. Scatter over the thyme leaves.
5 Meanwhile, make the gravy. Heat the oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for five minutes, until golden. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring until thickened. Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire, then gradually add the stock, stirring until smooth. Stir in the redcurrant jelly and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until thickened to a nice gravy consistency. Pour into a gravy jug when ready to serve.
6 Trim the French beans and place in a pan of boiling salted water with the peas. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, until tender, then drain and toss in the butter.
7 Serve the toad in the hole straight to the table family-style with the gravy and vegetables.
Read more
Neven Maguire: Pasta perfection
Neven Maguire: quick and tasty school-night meals
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