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Mary Berry Turkey and Ham Pie Recipe

Mary Berry Turkey and Ham Pie Recipe

Mary Berry’s turkey and ham pie has a creamy leek and tarragon filling under a golden puff pastry lid — the finest thing to do with Christmas leftovers.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 560
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Filling:
  • 600 g cooked turkey roughly torn
  • 300 g cooked ham in 2cm chunks
  • 3 large leeks in 1cm rounds
  • 40 g unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 200 ml dry white wine or cider
  • 350 ml chicken or turkey stock
  • 200 ml double cream
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped (or 1 tsp dried — added earlier)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Salt and white pepper
  • Puff Pastry Lid:
  • 375 g sheet ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry cold
  • 1 large egg beaten

Method
 

  1. Melt butter over medium heat. Cook leeks 8–10 minutes until soft and sweet. Add garlic — 2 minutes. Add flour — stir 1–2 minutes. Add wine or cider — bubble 3 minutes. Add stock, cream, and mustard. Season assertively. Simmer 5 minutes until thick. Add turkey, ham, lemon juice, parsley, and fresh tarragon. Stir gently. Taste — season very assertively. Cool 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Spoon cooled filling into pie dish. Brush rim with beaten egg.
  3. Lay cold puff pastry over filling — press edges firmly. Trim. Cut 4 generous vents. Brush lid generously with beaten egg. Decorate with pastry trimmings if desired.
  4. Bake 30–35 minutes until deeply golden and dramatically risen. Rest 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Cool the filling before applying pastry — hot filling prevents the pastry from rising properly.
Keep puff pastry cold until the moment it goes on — cold fat gives the dramatic rise.
Season the filling very assertively — pastry absorbs perceived seasoning.
Use all-butter puff pastry — more flavourful and more dramatically risen.
Tarragon elevates this from leftovers to a deliberate, elegant dish — do not omit.
Freeze filling without pastry for up to 3 months.
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