Chinese Chicken Pies Food

NEXT LEVEL CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a low heat. Add the leek, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and cook for 10-12 mins until the chicken is cooked, the leeks have softened, and the mixture is simmering. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 mins until the mix resembles a sandy paste. Pour in the wine or sherry, and bubble for 1 min, then stir in the stock, crème fraîche or cream and the mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Tip into a container and chill for 2 hrs, or overnight. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour with a large pinch of salt until completely combined. Add half the beaten egg and 4 tbsp ice-cold water, and bring together into a dough using your hands, adding a little more water if needed. Knead for a minute so it completely comes together, then chill for 1 hr.
• Butter a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Roll two-thirds of the pastry out until large enough to line the tin with some overhanging. Use it to line the tin, then spoon in the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry until large enough to cover the pie. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the pie to close it. Trim the edge, then press with a fork to seal. Chill until you're ready to cook. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 with a baking sheet inside. Brush the pie with some of the remaining beaten egg, then lightly score a criss-cross pattern on top using a sharp knife. Bake on the hot sheet for 20 mins, then brush with the rest of the egg, season with sea salt flakes and bake for 15-20 mins more until deep golden. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, put on a board and cut into wedges to serve.

CREAMY CURRIED CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Put the chicken, quartered onion, carrot chunks, ginger, garlic and herb stalks in a large stock pot. Cover the chicken completely with water, bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 1 hr. Turn the chicken over halfway through cooking and top up the water if you need to. After 1 hr the chicken should be tender - try pulling a leg away from the breast with some tongs. If there's much resistance, keep cooking, checking every 10 mins or so. Carefully remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and leave to cool on a plate for about 10 mins.
• Shred the chicken meat and discard the fat and bones. Strain the cooking liquid (this is your stock) and discard the onions, carrots and other bits (or keep them to make soup). Measure out 500ml of the stock.
• Melt the butter in a pan (use the stock pan if it's empty - you don't need to wash it). Add a drizzle of oil and the chopped onion and carrot. Cook until the veg is soft, for about 8-10 mins. Stir in the flour, curry paste and turmeric, then crumble in the stock cube. As you stir, the ingredients will clump together. Keep cooking for a min or so, then add a ladleful of the chicken cooking liquid. Stir well until smooth, then add another ladleful. Continue until all of the stock has been used up and you have a smooth sauce.
• Stir the chicken, cream and chopped herbs into the sauce, then season well and remove from the heat. If freezing portions at this stage, transfer to a sealable container or bag, cool, then freeze for up to two months. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating in a pan or the microwave. See tips below for serving suggestions.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Transfer the creamy curried chicken to a pie dish, about 25 x 5cm. Brush 6 sheets filo pastry with a little melted butter or oil and scrunch the sheets on top of the pie, covering the filling. Bake the pie for about 45-50 mins, until the top is crisp and the curried chicken is bubbling and hot. Serve with Tenderstem broccoli, if you like.