Chinese Chicken Pies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

25 g butter
1 small leek, white part only, finely chopped
8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons gingerroot, grated
1 tablespoon plain flour
300 ml chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
80 g ham, thickly sliced and chopped
1 tablespoon coriander, chopped
1/8 teaspoon five-spice powder
150 ml thickened cream
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180C and grease 4 individual pie dishes.
Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the mushrooms and ginger and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the flour, then gradually add the stock. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the frozen peas, cooked chicken, ham and coriander.
Season with salt, pepper and five spice powder.
Stir in the cream, then remove from the heat and allow to cool while you prepare the pastry.
Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares.
Line each pie tin with one square, pressing well to the sides.
Divide the filling among the pie cases.
Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Place pie dishes on a tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed.