Chicken and Leek Pie with Crispy Filo Topping

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 650g diced chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, diced
• 80g butter
• 2 medium leeks, trimmed, halved, washed, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 150g baby spinach
• 8 sheets filo pastry

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in 2 batches, for 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Melt half the butter in pan. Add leek. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until leek has softened. Stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in stock. Return chicken to pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickened. Stir in spinach.
3. Meanwhile, place remaining butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-low (30%) for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until melted. Place 1 pastry sheet on a flat surface. Brush with butter. Top with 1 pastry sheet. Repeat with butter and 2 pastry sheets to make 1 pastry stack. Roll up stack from 1 long side. Cut into 1cm-wide strips. Repeat with remaining butter and pastry.
4. Spoon chicken mixture into a 5 cup-capacity baking dish. Arrange pastry rounds over chicken mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve.

Notes

• 
  You could use Vegeta chicken stock powder instead of liquid stock in these reccpes. Mix 1 teaspoon stock powder with 1 cup hot woter. Work quickly with filo sheets when brushing to prevent them from drying out.