Chicken and Leek Puff Pastry Slices with Garlic Herb Butter

This recipe is all about British leeks – gently cooked until sweet and folded into a creamy chicken filling, with pockets of garlicky herb butter hidden inside flaky puff pastry. A comforting, nostalgic dish that feels like home.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling
4 roasted chicken thighs (or about 300g of meat after deboning)
120g leeks, thinly sliced
1 knob of butter
½ tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp plain flour
100ml double cream
100ml chicken stock
½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the garlic herb butter
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
5g fresh parsley, chopped

For the pastry
1 sheet puff pastry (around 375g)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Prepare the filling

1. Using roasted chicken thighs (recommended for a juicier, more flavourful filling), remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Chop the meat into small, bite-sized pieces – you don’t need to be exact, just aim for roughly uniform chunks that will fit nicely inside the pastry.
2. Slice the leeks thinly into roughly 5mm coins.
3. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the knob of butter. Add the leeks and minced garlic and cook gently for 2-2½ minutes until softened but not browned.
4. Sprinkle in the plain flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, to remove the raw flour taste.
5. Pour in the double cream and chicken stock. Stir in the thyme, salt, and black pepper. Let it cook for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Add the chopped chicken and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Make the garlic herb butter

1. Combine the softened butter, minced garlic, and chopped parsley in a small bowl. Mix until well combined.

Assemble the puff pastry slices

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 374°F / 170°C fan / Gas mark 5 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Roll out the puff pastry sheet and cut to your desired size.
3. Spoon a portion of the chicken and leek filling onto the pastry.
4. Add small dollops of the garlic herb butter on top of the filling, gently pressing it in so it “nests” into the filling.
5. Cover with the top layer of pastry and seal the edges. Brush the top with beaten egg for a golden finish. Make a slit into the pastry with a knife.

Bake

1. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Photography, recipe & styling by JessHallCooks ^[1]