We gave the humble chicken pie an exotic twist to create what may well be the best chicken pie on the block.
By Marwan Al Sayed
Photograph by Graeme Wyllie
Bok choi, shiitake mushroom and creamy chicken pie
Ingredients
- 300g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 30ml (2 tbsp) cake flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1,2kg skinless and boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 80g butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3 large heads of bok choi, shredded
- 180ml milk
- 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- 100g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 x 400g roll puff pastry, chilled
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and just cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain and chop roughly.
Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss through the chicken pieces so that they are well coated.
Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the chicken over a gentle heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside until needed.
Add the onion and garlic to the same frying pan and sauté until soft but not coloured, about 5 minutes. Add the bok choi and cook gently until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Place the chicken, mushrooms, milk and cream in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir through the parsley and the bok choi mixture, and adjust the seasoning. Leave to cool completely, then spoon it into 6 ramekins.
Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured work surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles to cover the tops of the ramekins. Brush the rims of the ramekins with the egg, place the pastry circles on the ramekins and brush with the remaining egg. Make 3 small holes on the pastry with a sharp knife to let the steam escape. Bake in the oven until golden and puffed, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Notes
To make one large pie, place the cold chicken mixture in a 1,5-litre pie dish. Brush the rim of the pie dish with beaten egg and cover with puff pastry. Brush the top with egg and bake for25 – 30 minutes. Use a lattice cutter wheel to create a lattice effect with the pastry.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
