It was a cold and wintery day and This Little Pig’s tummy was a’rumbling and the fridge was empty. Even that morning This Little Pig’s main man, a.k.a fiancée, a.k.a The Weaner (he doesn’t like that name but he’ll get used to it) had remarked on how empty the fridge was. Not to be put off by a bare fridge, This Little Pig dived right in and started rustling through the crisper and the freezer for some ingredients.
Inspiration for this beauty of a dish, actually came from a delightful games night that This Little Pig attended recently, where the fine swine hosting the event, cooked the most glorious creamy, chicken pie this world has ever seen. Now do you know where the saying “easy as pie” comes from dear piglet? Well you will once you cook up this recipe because would you believe…it’s as easy as pie. It’s also as delicious as pie…if that makes sense.
Creamy, Garlic Chicken & Winter Veg Pie
Feeds: 4 Hungry Piglets.
Prep Time: 10 Mins. Cooking Time: 30 Mins (1/2 of that time is in the oven though – the pie that is, not you piglet)
Ingredients For Pie Perfection:
400g x Diced Chicken Thighs (ask your butcher to do this – they have sharp knives and don’t mind touching raw chicken)
1 x English Spinach Bunch
1 x Carrot
1 x Red Onion
2 x Garlic Cloves
1 x Zucchini
2 x Tbs Dijonaise Mustard
1 x Tbs Gourmet Stock
4 x Tbs Thickened Cream
1 x Puff Pastry Sheet (may vary depending on tray size)
1 x Tbs Olive Oil for Frying
1 x Rosemary Twig
Butter for Greasing Trays
Pepper
Milk for basting the top pastry lid with – to make it golden and gawwwwjus
Method For Pie Perfection:
- Pop your sheets of puff pastry on the bench to lightly thaw.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Skin and finely dice your onion (1) and garlic (2).
- Finely dice your zucchini (1) and carrot (1).
- Finely dice your chives (1/2 bunch) and parsley (1/2 bunch) and roughly chop your English spinach (1 bunch).
- Heat your olive oil (1 Tbs) in a large pot until hot to trot. Then add in your onion and garlic and stir until the onion is starting to become translucent.
- Drop in your diced chicken (400g), zucchini and carrot and stir until chicken is no longer translucent on the outside.
- Add in half a cup of water and your gourmet stock (1 Tbs) and bring to the boil. Continue cooking and gently stirring until the carrot is soft and the chicken is just cooked through.
- Lower to a medium heat and add in your cream (4 Tbs), Dijonaise mustard (2 Tbs), chopped English spinach and diced parsley and chives and stir through until the spinach is wilted. Give it a good scrunch of pepper and mix through the rosemary leaves.
- Grab your trays (or ramekins if you want to make mini pie’s) and pop them upside down on the puff pastry and cut the circle around them with a sharp knife. Set them asside for the lids of your pie.
- Ladle out evenly into the trays your lovely chicken and vegetable mixture until the trays are ¾ full.
- Top the trays with your pastry circle lids (they don’t need to touch the edges, but they can – either way is fine piglets, its not really a precise science the old pie).
- Use a pastry brush (or a paper towel folded up would do panicky piglet) to brush over some milk over the lid of your pastry.
- Pop in the oven for 15 mins or until the tops are puffed up, golden and crunchy. Voila!
- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, a lovely side salad or just a big spoon. Oink.
