Chicken Pie

It has been raining here for 6 days straight. It’s supposed to clear up today and we’re supposedly finally going to see some sun. The weather has really affected my mood, though. I’m typically alright with a couple days here and there of rain, but 6 days straight just really puts one in a crappy mood.

I made this pie yesterday.  This chicken pie has been a staple in my house for years.. Everybody loved it so much. Makes a great breakfast on the run. Since I am working, it's easy for my children to pop it into the microwave to reheat.  I usually use more veggies than it calls for. I like my chicken minced. 

My son gobbled up most of it before it was fully cooled yesterday and today it didn’t last until lunch. Definitely a keeper!

It’s not difficult to make the pie crust. Spend a little time to bake up a homemade crust you can be proud of. Once you get the hang of it, the result is so much better than the typical frozen pie crust that you get at the store. There are many different ways to make a pie crust but the most classic is made with butter. This one is using plain yogurt along with butter. You can also make this recipe by hand if you don’t have a food processor.

This recipe makes about 16 individual pies.

Chicken Pie
(Adapted from Azie Kitchen)

Pastry Crust

250gm All-Purpose flour

200gm unsalted butter

110gm plain yogurt

1 egg yolk

1 st sugar (optional)

A good pinch of salt

Directions

The first thing to is to cut up the butter into cubes and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Put the flour, egg yolk, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix. Add the frozen butter to the food processor and pulse several times until the dough just barely begins to hold together. You know that the mixture is ready if when you pinch some of the crumbly dough together with your fingers, it holds together.

Drizzle the yogurt into the food processor and continue to pulse a couple times until it is moist and shaggy. If it is too moist then add extra flour to the dough. I added ½ cup of flour. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

If you not using a food processor, press or squish pieces of butter into smaller flat flakes with your fingertips until you no longer feel any cold hard pieces of butter. 

Chicken Pie Filling

500gm chicken breast – minced

1 medium carrot – finely diced

1 green capsicum – finely diced / 1 big can green peas

1 yellow onion – finely diced

4 cloves of garlic - minced

120gm white button mushroom - diced

2 tbsp olive oil

Chicken marinade:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

½ tsp MAGGI Seasoning Cukup Rasa

½ tsp Parsley flake

1 tsp sesame oil

A few dashes of black pepper

1 tbsp corn starch + 3 tbsp water (thickening)

1 whole egg + 1 tbsp of water -  lightly beaten

Directions

In a wok, sautee the garlic and yellow onion in olive oil until soft and aromatic.

Stir in the diced carrot then add in the chicken. Stir constantly until the chicken is cooked through.

Throw in the mushroom and capsicum / green peas. Continue to stir until the mushroom and capsicum / green peas start to soften. Do not overcook them.

Stir in the thickening. Let the mixture cook and thicken up for another minute or so. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.

Making pie

Preheat oven to 180ºC. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 3mm thickness. Cut out 16 dough circles just a bit larger than the aluminium mini pie pans. Press a dough circle into each pie pan, making sure the dough comes almost to the top of each pan.

Fill the pies with the chicken mixture. Cut out another 16 dough circles just the enough to cover the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges. Prick the surface of the crusts, twice, with a fork. Lightly brush egg wash on pies.

Bake pie for 35 minutes at 180C or until pastry is golden and puffed.