Aunty Fifi, this is for
you. When my Adorable Aunty visited a
while ago I whipped up these little individual pies - in
between lots of gossiping and laughing
- which is just how a family
visit should be. I have added a few extra ingredients to Valli Little’s
(Delicious) recipe, making a satisfying comfort food for these cooler nights.
The pies can be served in
any size ramekin or pie dish you prefer. Cooking times will then depend on the
volume to be heated. Sometimes I top them with
puff pastry but recently I seem to prefer a sourdough bread crust – both are
easy and equally tasty.
This is a very flexible
recipe – no leeks? Onions or shallots are fine.
No chorizo – bacon or salami works well too. The lemon juice is one ingredient I do
recommend adding right at the end – it adds a zing and brightness to the dish –
so if you like lemons as much as I do, be sure to add a squeeze.
HINT: I like making a large quantity and saving
some to reheat another day. Instructions are at the end of this recipe.
Preparation 15 – 20 minutes (some can be
done during the cooking time)
Cooking 15 – 30 minutes
Baking 20 minutes for ramekin about 200 ml size
Using Large frypan to cook filling
Oven heated
to 200° Celsius
Ramekins or pie dishes
Serves 6 – 7 depending on
size (good to make extra to freeze
for later)
Ingredients
20 g butter
½ tablespoon Olive Oil
3 leeks (pale part only) – washed well and thinly sliced – could use
white onions instead
4 rindless bacon rashers – diced
½ chorizo sausage – diced. Or Few
slices salami –sliced finely (leave out or add more –depends on you)
800 gram chicken thigh fillets – fat removed, cut into 3cm pieces-
approx bite size
2 Tablespoons plain flour
Good pinch of nutmeg and of smoked paprika (a little more if you like)
200 ml salt reduced chicken stock
200 ml light sour cream OR you could try Greek style Low Fat Yoghurt
– be sure it is thick, not watery
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaved parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice AND the Zest
(you may need to juice a ½ lemon)
Salt and Pepper to taste
TOPPING
1- 2 sheets frozen Butter puff pastry – defrosted (depends on size of ramekin tops)
Egg wash
OR
SOURDOUGH BREAD
TOPPING
¼ stale sourdough bread loaf
including crust
2 tablespoons butter
Teaspoon finely chopped herbs – eg thyme, rosemary and/or parsley
Couple of teaspoons Olive Oil
Method
Preheat oven to 200° Celsius
Heat butter and oil in large pan over low heat on stovetop.
Add leeks bacon, salami and fry gently.
Add chicken pieces and cook until chicken almost cooked through
Sprinkle in flour, nutmeg and paprika. Stir thoroughly – no heavy lumps
Stir in stock and increase heat to medium. Bring to gentle boil.
Reduce heat. Season
Remove from heat. Cool slightly
(warm –not hot) and stir in sour cream
Stir again then add parsley and lemon juice.
Set aside and prepare ramekins
Lightly grease inside of ramekins
Fill with chicken mix.
For pastry topping:
Place ramekins on defrosted pastry – cut out circles approx 1 cm wider
than top
Egg wash lip of ramekin. Gently place pastry on top
Press to seal. Make a couple of cuts in top to allow steam to escape
Brush with some egg wash
For Sourdough topping
Blitz the bread, butter, herbs and oil in a food processor to get
crumbs, allow some of the bread as 4cm cubes size. Do not overprocess.
Pile on top of the chicken mixture and press in slightly.
Then for both topping
methods
Place on strong oven tray (one with a slight lipped edge to retain
spills)
Bake for 15 -20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
HINT: making a large quantity and saving some
to reheat another day.
Find freezer-proof ramekins
/ pie tins that are also suitable for ovens.
Place a small freezer bag
into the ramekin.
Spoon some of the cooked
chicken filling into the freezer bag so the ramekin is almost full.
Tie or knot the freezer bag
excluding as much air as possible.
Leave the filled bag in the
ramekin, then place them into the freezer – preferably overnight.
Next day or 6 hours later:
Remove the freezer bags from
the individual ramekins. Leave contents in the freezer bags. No need to keep the ramekins in the freezer
at this stage. They will now be set in the quantity to refill those ramekins
when you want to use them to reheat later.
Place the small frozen
parcels into a larger zip bag or freezer plastic box, named and dated.
They are now ready to use
within a month.
To re-heat.
Remove the individual
freezer bags from freezer. Defrost in fridge – preferably. 2 – 3 hours.
Lightly grease the ramekins
Spoon the chicken mixture
(stir to break up any frozen chunks)
into the ramekins and spread with either of the topping lids desired.
Bake in oven per above
instructions.
Enjoy! Colleen
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