Chicken, Bacon and Pea Pie with Kachkéis Mash

Each year on the 2nd February, one of my favourite Luxembourgish traditions takes place. It’s time for Liichtmëssdag – the day of the light, also known as chandeleur in France. On this day, children go from house to house with lanterns, bringing the light to their neighbours and singing a song in return for candy.

The song the children sing is called “Léiwer Härgottsblieschen”, and they literally ask for ‘bacon and peas’ from people who open their door, promising them good health with their song.

So, I’ve decided to create a recipe with bacon and peas in honour of Liichtmëssdag. This chicken pie is bursting with a creamy filling with bacon, leak and peas and topped with an absolutely amazing Kachkéis mash. It requires quite a bit of prep, but it’s really worth it and you can easily freeze a portion too. And, don’t worry about piping the mash in a nice pattern on the pie, you can also just put little heaps on the filling, it will taste just as good.

You can find the recipe here in Luxembourgish.

And here are the full lyrics to the song (Version of Nik Welter -1929):

Léiwer Härgottsblieschen,
Gitt ons Speck an Ierbessen
Ee Pond, zwee Pond,
Dat anert Joer da gitt der gesond,
Da gitt der gesond.
Loosst déi jonk Leit liewen
Loosst déi al Leit stierwen,
(Variante: an déi al derniewent)
Kommt der net bal,
D’Féiss ginn ons kal.
Kommt Der net gläich,
Da gi mer op d’Schläich.
Kommt der net geschwënn,
D’Féiss ginn ons dënn.
Kommt Der net gewëss,
Da kritt Der e Schouss voll Nëss.

Ingredients

For the Kachkéis Mash:
500g floury potatoes
20g butter
180g Kachkéis, 40%
50ml full-fat milk
Melted butter, for drizzling

For the filling:

2 leek
600g chicken breast
200g frozen peas
2 tbsp vegetable oil
100g smoked bacon lardons
50g butter
1 garlic clove
50g flour
100ml white wine
500ml full-fat milk
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp smooth mustard
salt and pepper

Method

Serves 8 – Prep: 1h 15min – Oven: 20 minutes

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Put into a large saucepan with salted water, cover and bring to the boil, then cook for 15 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, trim the leek and discard the green tops. Finely slice, put in a colander and wash under a running tap. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and set aside.

Cook the peas in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.

Put a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep frying pan and fry the bacon lardons for a few minutes until browned. Put in a big mixing bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper until browned. Add to the bowl with the bacon.

Melt the butter in the pan used for the meat and fry the leek for approximately 8 minutes until soft. Peel and crush the garlic clove and fry with the leek for another minute. Stir the flour through the leeks, then add the white wine and cook for a minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring between additions to thicken. Once all the milk is used up, stir through the two mustards. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour the sauce into the bowl with the chicken. Add the cooked peas and stir to combine.

Put the chicken filling into a large baking dish measuring approximately 40 x 25 cm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Once the potatoes are soft, drain and mash the cooked potatoes. Add the butter, Kachkéis and milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put the mash into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle and pipe the mash all over the warm chicken filling.

Drizzle a bit of melted butter over the mash, then bake the pie in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the mash is golden.

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