Chicken, leek and bacon galette

It’s no secret that I love galettes. These free-form tarts are rustic yet elegant, and make wonderfully satisfying comfort food. For this recipe, I used golden, flaky puff pastry, which works beautifully with the creamy chicken topping. Best of all, there’s no need for a pie dish, blind baking or perfectly neat edges – the relaxed, free-form nature of a galette is all part of its charm.

The pastry base is flaky and buttery, while the leeks, thyme and tomato pesto add freshness and flavour. Creamy chicken and smoky bacon make the topping hearty and satisfying without feeling too rich. Such a delicious combination! It’s all the cosy comfort of a pie, but with a more relaxed feel. The recipe is brilliantly versatile too – easy enough for a weeknight supper, but special enough to serve at a leisurely weekend lunch with friends.

There’s even less washing up to worry about, as the topping is prepared in one pan. If you have any leftovers, they reheat beautifully in the air fryer. I hope you enjoy this tasty chicken, leek and bacon galette!

CHICKEN, LEEK & BACON GALETTE

Servings: 4
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10 ml (2 tsp) butter
2 large leeks (about 250 g), sliced
100 g streaky bacon, cut into 4 cm pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil
300 g skinless and deboned chicken thighs
100 ml plain smooth cream cheese
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400 g puff pastry
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 ml (1 tsp) thyme leaves
45 ml (3 tbsp) finely grated mature cheddar
30 ml (2 tbsp) tomato pesto

1.) Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the leeks and cook gently over a low heat for 10 minutes until softened. Add the bacon and cook for 3 minutes until just cooked but still soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat, tip into a large bowl and set aside to cool.

2.) Heat the olive oil in the same saucepan. Add the chicken and fry for a few minutes on each side until just cooked. Remove from the heat and use two forks to break the chicken into small chunks. Add to to the leek mixture.

3.) Combine the cream cheese and mustard in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the chicken mixture and combine.

4.) Preheat the oven to 200ºC and grease a baking tray. Unroll the pastry and place on the tray. Spoon the chicken filling onto the pastry, leaving a 2 cm border around the edge. Fold the edges up and over the chicken filling.

5.) Brush the egg over the edges of the pastry. Sprinkle the thyme over the filling and the cheddar over the crust. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and baked through.

6.) Spoon or drizzle the pesto over the top of the galette. Slice and serve immediately.