I've recently come back from my trip to Marrakesh (for which I will be doing a blog post with pictures etc) and to address my post holiday blues I wanted to cook something easy and comforting and a chicken pie fit the bill. This recipe was a hit with my 2 year old son which is great as it meant we all ate the same meal.
Tip: Use up any vegetables you have as this recipe is very adaptable.
Serves approx 4
Pre heat the oven to 200oc
Ingredients
1 chicken breast (cut into small cubes)
500g frozen puff pastry (thawed)
2 medium sized onions (finely chopped)
1 large carrot (cut into small cubes)
7 pieces frozen broccoli
2 tbs frozen sweetcorn
1 tbs frozen mixed peppers
4-5 large button mushrooms
2-3 tbs double cream
400ml stock (veg or chicken)
2 crushed garlic cloves
squeeze of lemon
2 tsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/3 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tbs dried mixed herbs
pinch of salt
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 tbs plain flour
Method
Cut the chicken breast into small bit sized cubes and place into a bowl. Add the crushed garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, lemon juice, turmeric, chilli powder and chilli flakes to the chicken and mix well.
Take out a large pot and add the sunflower oil and place on a high heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot's and mushrooms. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. To this, add the chicken and stir for about 2 min and then turn the heat to medium and cover for approx 5 min. Ensure you keep checking the mixture and stir to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. The chicken should be cooked now and at this point add all the frozen vegetables and bring the heat back up to high and stir for a further 2 min. Cover and leave until the veg is cooked through.
Add the plain flour at this stage and stir thoroughly. Add the 400ml of stock and cream and stir. You will notice the mixture will start to thicken, continue to stir until the mixture has the same consistency as double cream (maybe slightly thicker). Take the pot off the heat and stir in the dried herbs, taste to ensure you don't need any more salt or pepper. Allow to cool before rolling out the pastry.
Once the mixture has cooled down, roll out the pastry to cover your pie dish, I used a rectangular pie dish that serves approx 4 people. Empty the pie mixture into your dish and cover with the pastry. Make a small piercing in the center to allow steam to escape. Cook in the oven at 200oc for approx 35 min or until the pastry is golden brown.
