GOLDEN CRUSTED CHICKEN AND BACON POT PIES

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