Chicken Ragù Hand Pies Food

CHICKEN MARSALA HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the 3 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raw flour smell is gone, about 1 minute. Stir in the Marsala and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. (You want the sauce to thicken here so it won't seep out of the hand pies!) Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, place the pie crusts on a lightly floured work surface and roll out each with a rolling pin to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 5-inch rounds of dough. (I invert a 5-inch bowl onto the dough and trace around the rim with a paring knife!) Gather and reroll the scraps to cut out a total of 12 rounds.
• Brush some of the beaten egg around the edges of each dough round.
• Add the chicken and parsley to the cooled mushroom filling and stir to combine. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of each dough round. Fold each over to cover the filling, creating 12 half-moons. Use your fingers to press the edges together on each hand pie, then crimp with a fork to seal securely.
• Transfer the hand pies to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining beaten egg. Make 3 small slits with a paring knife on the top of each pie to let the steam escape. Bake until the crusts are crisp and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

CHICKEN RAGù HAND PIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl and work the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles coarse sand. It's O.K. if some of the butter pieces aren't fully incorporated.
• Whisk together the ice water, vinegar and 1 egg, then slowly add to the flour a bit at a time, stirring gently with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
• Flour your hands lightly, gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently a few times.
• Form the dough into a thick, flat square, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for an hour. (The dough can stay overnight in the refrigerator or be frozen at this point.)
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until 1/8-inch thick. Cut out 4 1/2-inch rounds (a small bowl works well for this if you don't have a cookie cutter). Collect dough scraps if needed to re-roll dough to obtain 10 rounds.
• Whisk the remaining egg. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add one heaping tablespoon of the chicken ragù to each pie, being careful to not scoop up too much liquid. Sprinkle with a little of the cheese, then brush the outer rim of each round with egg and fold over to seal tightly.
• Set the hand pies on the prepared baking sheet. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges, being careful not to puncture the dough that covers the filling. Brush the top of each hand pie with egg.
• Bake until the pastry tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHICKEN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add in the onion; cook/stir 9-10 minutes, until golden.
• Add in mushrooms; cook/stir for 4 minutes; set mixture aside.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; heat a 5-quart Dutch oven over med-high heat.
• Add in chicken; brown it on each side.
• Deglaze pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.
• Add in the soup mix, dried fines herbs, broth, bay leaf, and reserved onion/mushroom mixture.
• Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes, turning chicken several times during the cooking time.
• Remove bay leaf and serve.

CHICKEN & CHORIZO RAGU

Steps:

• Fry the chorizo over a medium heat in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish for 5 mins or until it releases its oil and starts to char at the edges. Add the onion and fry for 5 mins more or until soft. Tip in the garlic and cook for 2 mins before stirring in the paprika and sundried tomatoes. Add the chicken thighs and fry for 2 mins each side until they are well coated in the spices and beginning to brown.
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, and turn the heat down. Cover and cook for 40 mins until the chicken is falling apart and the sauce is thick. Stir the lemon juice through. Serve by piling spoonfuls of the ragu into hot jacket potatoes with parsley sprinkled over and a dollop of soured cream, if you like.

CHICKEN RAGù WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Put the oil in a wide saucepan or deep skillet that will fit six thighs snugly and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook it until it's crisp, 5 to 6 minutes, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a small bowl.
• Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin-side down, to begin to brown. After 3 or 4 minutes, turn it and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat.
• Add the onion and fennel and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and just starting to turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for another minute or so.
• Pour in wine and simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the bacon and then the chicken with any accumulated juices, skin-side up, keeping the thighs in a single layer. Pour in enough water to almost cover the chicken.
• Bring to a simmer and then turn the heat down so the liquid is bubbling very gently. Partially cover with a lid, setting it so some steam can escape. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool. Once you can handle it, remove the bones and skin and shred the chicken by hand.
• If you are serving the ragù over pasta, get your water going: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.
• Add milk to the pan and turn the burner to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is nearly reduced by half and slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the shredded chicken back to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the butter, then the Parmesan. If serving over pasta, add some of the starchy pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
• Add the parsley, and toss sauce with the pasta, if using. Pass more Parmesan at the table.