Here we go, my cousin and I's version of Chicken and Vegetable Pie! Opting for the fast and the delicious, the following ingredients are for those who doesn't want to do A LOT of mise en place (cutting and a choppin). If you've got some frozen vegetables in the freezer and some left-over cream after whatever you may have used it for, then this is the recipe for you.
But remember, all the time, it's best to go for the fresh produce so if you've got time, then do some choppin and a cuttin and maybe gather some of your friends or your relatives round to help you out.
But otherwise, here it is:
Easy to make "Chicken and Vegetable Pie"
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of butter
- 500g chicken breast fillets, roughly cut or ALTERNATIVE*: cut meat from chicken wings or marylands (approx 1 maryland and 5 wings)
- 1 teaspoon garlic**
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 5-6 sheets of puff pastry
- 2 cups of Frozen Vegetable Mix*** (carrots, peas, corn, broccoli, radish)
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 7 pieces mushroom, sliced
- 1/2 cup thickened cream
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a fry pan over medium heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned or almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add parsley and garlic to the pan and cook over low heat. Add the flour and cook for approx. 1 minute.
- Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celcius on a fan-forced oven.
- Add chicken stock and cream. Cook, stirring (make sure that there are no clumps of flour) for a further 5 minutes in a medium-low heat.
- Return chicken to pan and add in vegetables. Season well then set aside to cool.
- Cover the bottom of the dish**** with 2-3 sheets of puff pastry, allowing the sides to be covered. (Brush the puff pastry with some water if it starts to dry up)
- Pour in chicken and vegetable mixture on the dish and place the rest of the sheets on the top, covering it.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy.
* - In this recipe, we used 1 maryland (leg and thigh) and took out as much meat as we can and also with the wings. Preferably use drummettes instead of the wing itself. Apart from the fact that we didn't have breast fillets, we thought it a good idea to use these chicken cuts because they're more moist and weren't as dry as breast fillets usually turn out to be.
** - You can use 1 clove of fresh garlic or the not so fresh diced garlic in a jar.
*** - There are many different kinds of frozen vegetable mixes in your local supermarkets but just make sure that for this particular recipe, you've got some peas and carrots. Any other vegetable combination is fine too, but remember, always TASTE before serving up.
**** - For the baking, we used a glass, circular dish that is oven safe. You can also use any other oven-safe plates, whether they be ceramic or glass. Preferably round shaped ones.
TOP TIP: When cooking, though following the recipe is usually a must in many dishes, it's also a great way to test your culinary skills by 'winging' some of the dishes. But you just have to make sure that it tastes GREAT.
Enjoy!
C & H
