Chicken, leek and pumpkin parcels

Serves:

16

Ingredients

• 600g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 60g butter
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 1/2 (125ml) cup cream
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 4 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Toss pumpkin in oil and spread in a single layer on a baking tray. Season well with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a medium saucepan over gentle heat. Add leeks, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Be careful not to let it brown. Season well and set aside.

Make a quick bechamel sauce by melting remaining butter in a clean saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in milk a little at a time, whisking to ensure it doesn't become lumpy. Add cream and simmer for 3 minutes.

Combine pumpkin, leek, bechamel sauce and cooked chicken in a bowl. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if required. Cut four circles from each sheet of pastry. Brush edges with beaten egg. Holding a circle in your hand, add a large spoonful of mixture. Fold over pastry to create a half-circle, and press edges together to seal. Continue with remaining pasty and filling.

Place parcels on a tray lined with baking paper. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.

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Serving Suggestions

Note

• You could boost the vegetable component by adding grated carrot and zucchini or frozen peas to the filling.
• This recipe will make lots of parcels. You can freeze them before baking to have on hand for busy nights.
• Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.