Ingredients

Serves 4

3 whole corn-fed chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion finely diced
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), cut in half length-wise, then cut into ½-inch strips
1 tbsp coarse-grain mustard
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp whole milk
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Sprinkle the chicken legs with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Place the chicken legs on a large, heavy, rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken legs over and continue roasting for 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Set them aside to cool slightly and reduce the oven temperature to 190ºC. Reserve the pan drippings on the baking sheet.

When the chicken legs are cool enough to handle, shred the meat into large chunks and place it in a bowl. Discard the sinew, bones and skin.

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and sauté for 5 minutes, or just until tender but not browned. Stir in the mustard, then the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, the ¾ cup milk, the cream, and the reserved pan drippings. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the shredded chicken and the tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set the mixture aside to cool and then refrigerate it to cool completely.

To assemble the pie: Spoon the chicken mixture into a 1½ litre baking dish. Roll out the sheet of puff pastry over the chicken mixture and press it against the rim of the baking dish to seal. Cut slits into the pastry to allow steam to escape. Mix the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl to blend. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture and garnish with sesame seeds. Set the pie on a heavy baking sheet and bake to 50 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Set it aside for 30 minutes to cool slightly before serving.