Creamy white bean and leek pot pie

This recipe makes two thing that go perfectly together, though they are also amazing apart: cheddar cheese biscuits (like a flaky scone), and a creamy, savoury bean and leek stew. Both freeze well, too.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Stew

• 1½ tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
• 4- 5 leeks, cleaned (see Note) and cut into 2 cm (1-inch) rounds
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp finely chopped sage
• 1½ tsp finely chopped thyme
• 2 cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup plain flour
• 4 cups (1 litre) low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1½ cups frozen peas
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp tbsp sour cream
• juice of ½-1 lemon

Biscuits

• 2 cups (170 g) flour
• 5 tsp (25 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup (56 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
• 1 cup (120 g) grated white cheddar cheese
• 1¼ cups (300 ml) buttermilk
• melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. For the stew, melt butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the leeks start to soften and turn golden brown. Stir in the garlic, sage and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
2. Stir in the beans then sprinkle over the flour and mix well to combine. Slowly pour in the broth, turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened and the leeks are very tender. Add the frozen peas, sour cream and lemon juice to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. While the stew cools, make the buttermilk biscuits. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add in the butter and cut or snap it into the flour until the pieces of butter are about the size of a pea. Stir in the grated cheese and make a well in the centre. Pour in the buttermilk and gently mix until a shaggy dough forms.

4. If serving immediately, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). (See Note if making this ahead to store in the fridge or freezer.)

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring the dough together. Press it out into a 2 cm (1-inch) thick rectangle (see Note) then fold it over onto itself. Press and fold the dough two more times then flatten again to 2 cm (1-inch) thick. Trim any wonky edges and cut the dough into 8 rough squares.

6. Transfer all or a portion of the stew to a casserole dish and top with all or a portion of the biscuits. Brush the biscuits with the melted butter and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the pot pie to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

• Clean the leeks by trimming off the root and dark green parts. Chop the white and lighter green part of the leek into 2 cm (1-inch) pieces and place into a large bowl. Cover the leeks with tap water and run your hands through the leeks, agitating them so that any dirt and debris falls away to the bottom of the bowl. Using your hands, scoop the leeks out of the water, allowing as much water as possible to drain away.

• If using a round dish, pat the dough into a circle and cut into 8 wedges

• Make Ahead - Fridge: If storing in the fridge (for up to 2 days), transfer the stew and biscuits to separate resealable containers, dividing the biscuits with a square of parchment if you need to stack them. Assemble and cook the refrigerated stew and biscuits as directed above.

• Make Ahead - Freezer: If storing in the freezer for up to 3 months, divide the stew into portioned resealable containers or freezer bags and freeze. Freeze the biscuits on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. To cook the pot pie, defrost the stew in the fridge overnight. Transfer the stew into a casserole dish and top with the frozen biscuits, brush with melted butter, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 40 to 45 minutes.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.