At the next junction, turn back for Chicken Pie

It's always nice to be invited back somewhere. And when that involves being invited back for free pie, there's surely nothing better! And that was the very kind offer made by The Junction Pub in Harborne, Birmingham. Clearly not satisfied with the best pie in Harborne (an ox cheek pie reviewed a few weeks ago), The Junction Pub wanted to be firmly put on the map with the best pies around. So with them boasting about the Chicken, Ham and Leek pie on their new summer menu, who am I to turn down a free invite?!



Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie with Fries, Peas, Green Beans and Courgette

So on to the pie. I must point out that the pub had acknowledged my hesitancy of a top-crust only pie in my last review and would look into future possibilities of full pastry encasement, but for now this would be another top crust review.

The pie when it came out was golden topped in delicious light puff pastry, a sight to behold. A (seemingly personalised) added touch of an 'x marks the spot' on top of the pie was a very clever addition and well appreciated. Digging through the crisp top layer of puff pastry, the fork was met with large, tender chunks of chicken, succulent pieces of ham and leek. The creamy sauce was slightly thin and runny in parts, but well complimented the chicken. The meat was very plentiful and smothered in delicious creamy sauce. The main downside once again was that I quickly ran out of pastry due to it being just a top crust pie. This left me very filling-heavy, and while a tasty filling it did suffer from the lack of pastry accompaniment. The chicken pieces could have been diced slightly more finely to spread it more evenly through the pie, however all in all the filling was very good and the chicken top notch.

While my preference would be the ox cheek pie I had previously, this chicken pie once again highlights why The Junction Pub is the place to be for a fine dining experience in Harborne. And who knows - if they work on their fully encased pastry recipe, they could be competing for best pie in Birmingham or the UK!


RAS


Harborne Pie Leaderboard:
5.95 - The Junction Pub - Ox Cheek and Red Wine
5.90 - The Junction Pub - Chicken, Ham and Leek
5.75 - The Green Man Pub (Ember Inn) - Steak, Stout, Baby Onion and Pancetta
4.50 - The Proverbial - Steak and Ale