Ingredients:
60g butter, 60g plain flour, 250ml Sheppy’s Craft Perry cider, 250ml milk, 1 tbsp mustard, ½ lemon, juiced, 2 tbsp cream, 3 leeks, sliced, 1 large apple, peeled and sliced, 500g cooked chicken, cubed, 50g sage cheddar, grated – yes, it is bright green! (Alternatively use mature cheddar), 800g Shortcrust pastry, Salt and black pepper, 1 egg whisked
Method:
To create the sauce, melt half the butter in a pan with the flour. Stir this over a medium-low heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and start adding the cider a little at a time, mix well with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until all the cider has been added, then add the milk in the same way. Add salt and pepper and return to the heat to bring to the boil. The mixture will start to thicken. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, lemon juice and cream then taste for seasoning and put to the side.
Melt the other half of the butter in a pan and fry the leeks and the apples for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until tender. Take the lid off and increase the heat to reduce any juice.
Add half the cheese to the sauce, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the leeks and apples. Remove from the heat and cool the sauce until you’re ready to assemble the pie. Just before assembling, stir the chicken into the sauce.
Grease the base and sides of a 25 x 20cm tin. On a floured surface, roll out half the pastry to the thickness of 5mm. Put into the tin, making sure it covers the base and sides. Add the chicken mixture on top of the pastry. Add the rest of the cheese to the top. Roll out the other half of the pastry to the thickness of 5mm. Add the pastry as a lid. Crimp the edges and use the remaining pastry to decorate. Make three small cuts in the top to let out steam. Brush the top with the egg mixture.
Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 mins, until the pastry is a deep golden colour. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.