TO DRINK: Try a medium cream sherry. It will pick up the fruity characters of the brandy, and cut through the rich sauce
Country chicken pie
Ingredients
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 10g (1 tbsp) butter
- 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 8 deboned chicken thighs, skin removed, chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) cake flour
- 60ml (¼ cup) brandy
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 625ml (2½ cups) chicken stock
- 250ml (1 cup) frozen peas
- 400g ready-made puff pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick frying pan. Add the leeks and garlic and fry until soft, about 5 minutes.
Dust the chicken pieces with the flour and add to the pan. Fry over high heat until the chicken begins to colour, about 5 – 6 minutes.
Add the brandy and season. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring well. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the peas to the mixture and adjusting the seasoning.
Spoon the chicken mixture into an ovenproof pie dish. Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured work surface, making the pastry big enough to cover the top of the pie dish. Transfer the pastry onto the pie and trim the edges.
Make a steam hole in the centre of the pie and brush with beaten egg. Bake in the oven until the pastry is golden and puffed, about 25 minutes.
Serve with spring onion and yoghurt crushed potatoes and extra peas.
