Chef Jess van Dyk’s lockdown comfort food of choice was a hearty homemade pie, but not just any pie, a chicken, leek and chorizo pie. Here’s the recipe:

Chef Jess van Dyk’s chicken, leek and chorizo pie. Image shot by Shavan Rahim

Ingredients

Chicken filling:

• 1kg deboned chicken thighs, cubed
• 100g chorizo, peeled and brunoised
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 leeks, washed well and diced
• 1 punnet button mushrooms, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 200g butter
• 85g flour
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 sachet liquid stock concentrate – mushroom
• 600ml boiling water
• 200ml cream
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
• 100g fine green beans, chopped into small rings

Pastry:

• 2 rolls All Butter Puff pastry
• 4 egg yolks mixed with 4 tbsp water for the egg wash
• Pinch of salt

Method

Whisk the mushroom extract into the boiling water to form a mushroom broth and set aside.

Heat a wide heavy based sauce pan with the oil, and add the diced chorizo.

Gently fry to render the oils and once it starts turning golden remove the chorizo pieces keeping the oils in the pan.

Add the cubed chicken, season with salt and black pepper and fry until nice and golden brown.

Remove from the pan (leaving the oils in the pan) and set aside with the crispy chorizo.

Add the butter and mushrooms to the pan and start browning.

Season with a pinch of salt.

Once mushrooms is taking on colour, add leeks, garlic and thyme and carry on frying until leeks are turning soft and slightly translucent. (you want a good balance of frying and sweating- colouring the veg but ensuring it cooks before it turns too brown).

Add pepper and smoked paprika and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the flour and gently cook the mixture over low heat forming a roux.

Remove from heat (this is vital in making a smooth sauce) and add half the mushroom broth while stirring continuously to avoid forming lumps.

Add the rest of the stock mix through making sure there is no flour clumps and place back on the heat.

Adjust seasoning if need be and cook until thick and luscious.

Add the cream (adjust with a splash of water if too thick) stir through then add chicken and chorizo.

Cook over low heat until chicken is just cooked, ± 8mins.

Remove from heat, add fresh parsley, rosemary and green beans and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Spray n cook the preferred baking dish

Roll half of the pastry out to about 4mm thickness and line the bottom of the baking dish.

Leave in the fridge to set slightly while the filling cools.

Once the filling has reached room temperature, pour into the lined baking dish.

Egg wash the sides of the pastry that sticks out around the filling. This will glue the top and bottom together.

Roll the rest of the pastry out to roughly the same size as the baking dish.

Place the pastry on top of the filling and curl the bottom layer over the top- making sure to seal the the pastry to avoid any filling pouring out while baking.

Use leftover pastry pieces to create pretty topping if desired.

Egg wash the entire top of the pie.

Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes until pastry is golden brown and cooked through.

Leave to rest or cool slightly, at least 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy with a crispy green salad or roasted veggies.