Greek Chicken Leek Pie With Filo

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour & 20 minutes
Servings: 8 pieces

This delicious chicken and leek pie features ready-made sheets of filo pastry, giving it a wonderfully light and crispy topping. The best part? It uses leftover cooked chicken and store-bought pastry, making it super easy to whip up without the hassle of rolling out dough. Packed with tender leeks, carrots, rich chicken stock, a hint of Dijon mustard for a little kick, creamy goodness, and fresh parsley, this pie is a flavor explosion you won't want to miss!

Ingredients:

For The Chicken:

600 grams / 1 lb + 5 oz boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
¼ lemon zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper

For The Pie Filling:

olive oil
450 grams (15.8 ounces) leeks finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
60 grams (½ cup) all-purpose flour
500 ml (2 cups) milk lukewarm
2 medium-sized eggs
150 grams (5.2 ounces) Kefalograviera cheese (or substitute with Gruyere and Parmesan or Pecorino Romano) grated
fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper

For The Pie:

450 grams filo pastry (1 package) unfreeze in the fridge overnight
120 grams (4.2 ounces) butter melted

Directions:

Prepare The Chicken:

Preheat the oven to high on broil function.
Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it with oil.
Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion powder, oregano, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
Add the chicken breasts to the pan and brush them with half the marinade. Season with salt and pepper.
Broil the chicken for about 5 minutes. Then turn and brush with the remaining marinade. Broil for another 5 minutes or until internal temperature registers 165°F / 74°C on an instant-read thermometer. Set the chicken aside in a bowl to cool.

Make The Pie Filling:

Heat a good splash of olive oil in a saute pan over moderate heat.
Add the leeks, season with salt, and cook until softened.
Toss in the butter and stir until it melts.
Add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the milk and stir until thick and creamy.
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Stir in the eggs and grated cheese. Season with freshly ground pepper.
Shred the chicken not too fine and mix in as well.

Make The Pie:

Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
Lay open the stack of phyllo on your working surface. Cover it with a tea towel so it won't air-dry.
Take a round 31 cm (12-inch pan) and grease it well with melted butter.
Place 4 phyllo sheets in the pan cross-like to cover the bottom (half of each phyllo will be hanging out of the pan). Drizzle each phyllo with melted butter.
Add the chicken leek filling and spread it evenly with a spoon.
Overlap the phyllo that hangs out of the pan, drizzling each one generously with melted butter.
Add all of the remaining phyllo from the package on top. Ruffle each phyllo in order to fit inside the pan and drizzle each one with butter.
Cut and divide the pie into 8 large pieces. Try not to cut the bottom phyllo so the filling won't leak out.
Bake for about 50 minutes on the mid-low rack of the oven. Until honey golden and very crispy.
Let the pie set for 10 minutes outside the oven.
Cut and serve!

Notes:

Cheese: I'm using Kefalograviera. It's a Greek cheese that's something between Kefalotyri (sharp, salty, hard, sheep milk cheese) and Gruyere. If you cannot find it where you live, you can use a combination of Gruyere, with Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese (both of which are as sharp as Kefalotyri).
Make Ahead: You can make this pie ahead of time and keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. You can also simply prepare the filling and keep it in the fridge. Then assemble the pie on the next day and bake!
The Filo: The filling is tucked securely inside the filo. The bottom filo is a bit softer than the filo on top. Due to the moisture of the pie while cooking. The top filo layer is thicker, and extra crunchy and flaky. To achieve this, add the phyllo ruffled. Also, make sure to drizzle each filo with melted butter. This is what gives it crispness and it bakes well. To preserve the texture of this chicken leek pie, score the pie allowing steam to release from the center. Also, allow the pie to stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving it.
Filling: The filling is made using a bechamel cream base and is literally loaded with leeks. And this is what makes it so flavorful also. To get the most flavor out of the leeks cook them the same way you cook onions. Let them saute for a while until they get really soft and their original volume reduces by half. This way you reduce their pungent taste and they turn out very sweet and flavorful. After sauteeing the leeks, add some butter, wait until it melts, and then dust with flour. Gradually mix in milk while stirring with a wooden spoon. You'll end up with a thick and creamy mixture.
Storing: Place the tray in the freezer and chill the pie until firmly frozen. Remove the dish, wrap it with plastic wrap, and return it to the freezer for longer storage. They will keep for up to three months if frozen correctly. Cover the tray with foil and cook from frozen for 30 minutes at 350°F, then take off the foil and bake until golden for an additional 20-25 minutes. They’re done when the phyllo is golden brown, regardless of whether you bake them right after making or from frozen.