Chicken and Mushroom Pie

® This is a RAS signature Recipe©

Classic comfort food: flaky crust filled with tender chicken, savory veggies, and creamy gravy. This Chicken and Mushroom Pie, is a must try!

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♦Prep time:20MIN ♦Cook time:1hour5min ♦Yield: 8Servings.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

You can strike through ingredients, as you prep them, by clicking on the ingredient.

Ingredients:

For Coating and pan-frying Chicken:

For the Pie Crust:

Method:

♦ If you would like to reduce the time taken, please prepare the pastry before, you start on the filling.♦

To make the filling:

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts (see notes). Pat dry the chicken breast.
2. Add the (flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme) to a bowl and mix evenly.
3. Add one butterflied breast at a time, using tongs, and coat both sides well.
4. Heat Olive oil (2 Tbsp) in a heavy-based, deep skillet and pan fry the breasts(in batches) for 2 minutes per side, just till a light golden crust is formed. We will finish cooking the breasts in the pie filling, so do not overcook them now. Once all the chicken breasts are pan-fried in this method, keep them warm(covered with foil), till ready to add to the filling.
5. Wipe the skillet/pan clean and add olive oil (2 Tbsp). Add the sliced mushrooms, and fry till water is released and the mushrooms reduce considerably in size (about 3 minutes).
6. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Add in the potato cubes and turn up the heat. Stir fry for a minute more. Add in the carrot and mix through.
7. Now pour in the coconut cream and water. Mix well till evenly incorporated.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as the thyme sprigs.
9. Bring to a simmer and add in the cooked chicken, which has been roughly chopped up by now.
10. Simmer on medium heat for 8-10 minutes till chicken and potatoes are cooked. You can add more coconut cream or water as needed although the pie filling must not be too runny.
11. Finally, add the chopped fresh parsley and ground Allspice. Stir through and remove from heat. Keep covered till ready to bake the pie.

Prepare the pastry: If you prefer to reduce waiting time, you can make the pastry first(before making the filling)

1. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) in a bowl, to mix thoroughly.
2. Add the cold butter, cut into cubes, and work this into the flour mixture, rubbing with the tips of your fingers, lifting the flour as you do so. Rub in lightly and quickly until the butter is all the way incorporated, without lumps and the flour mixture looks soft and crumbly.
3. Add chilled coconut cream (65ml) and repeat the process till mixed through. Then add the ice-cold water and, start to knead. Add just enough ice water till the dough holds together. Knead well till the dough comes together in a ball, leaving the sides of the bowl clean. Knead for a few minutes, till your dough ball is smooth.
4. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Assemble and Bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/374°F.
2. Add the cooked filling to a 2.4 L Pie dish or suitable baking casserole.
3. Remove THE PASTRY from the fridge. Roll out the pastry ball between two sheets of parchment paper to make a circle big enough to cover the pie dish. Pour the prepared warm filling into the pie dish and gently lay the rolled-out pastry over the top. Seal the edges along the rim of the pie dish, with your fingers. You might need to trim the edges, you can flute the edges but it is not necessary for these rustic ‘pot pies’.
4. Brush the edge and top of the pie dish with some egg wash.  Cut several slits over the top (allowing steam to escape).
5. Place on a low rack in the oven and bake the pot pie for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown and the filling is bubbling slightly along the edges. Serve hot.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Notes:

1. To Butterfly a boneless, skinless chicken breast: Place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Put your hand flat on the chicken (fingers curled for safety). Using a sharp knife cut horizontally, starting at the thickest side, and slice nearly all the way through, stopping about a half-inch from the other side. Open up the breast like a book, you can make a few gashes to help open the breast further. For even thinner breasts, place it between parchment paper and pound with a mallet or rolling pin to a desired thickness (usually 1/4 to 1/2 inch).
2. The Pie filling should be moist but not runny. However, those who like a soupy filling can add more coconut cream and water while cooking the filling. The filling will spill out when served, which is fine.
3. You can bake the Pie in one large baking dish or, you can use small ramekins for individual Pot Pies. If you’re using ramekins use a round cutter to cut the pastry into 6-8 circles (one for each) ramekin, depending on the size.
4. Pot pies such as these, do not have a pie crust as a base, they are only covered with the pastry. It provides a sufficient crust-to-filling ratio, without being overly filling.
5. We are making an easy-to-make pie pastry, which is light and flaky. You can make your job even easier by using store-bought puff pastry. However, for rustic pies, this type of crust is just perfect.
6. All ingredients for the Pie Crust/Pastry must be cold. You can even place your bowl of mixed flour, salt, and baking powder, in the fridge before mixing in the cold butter, coconut cream, and ice-water, to give a flakier crust. The pie dough must be chilled while resting, and you must roll it out quickly and bake after removing it from the fridge for optimum results. The secret to flaky pastry is in the cold fat. If the fat is warm, it will soak INTO the flour particles which gives a dense, pasty dough. Baking powder must not be omitted for the light and flaky pie pastry.
7. The chicken is coated in the seasoned flour before briefly pan-frying, to seal in the juices, and develop a light crust. This way the chicken stays so soft and moist, without the chance of drying out. It also builds flavor and helps thicken the pie filling without the step of adding flour later to the pie gravy.
8. Vegetables like leeks and green peas may be added to suit your taste.
9. Coconut cream adds a lovely flavor to the filling while keeping surprisingly light. I highly reccomend trying it! If you do not have it, you can use heavy cream towards the end of cooking the filling. For the pastry, you can use margarine where coconut cream is called for.

Key Ingredients: Chicken(Flour, Seasoning), Potato, Carrot, Onion, Coconut cream(or Cream)Olive Oil, Thyme, Parsley, Allspice, Salt, Pepper. Pastry(Flour, cold unsalted Butter, cold Coconut Cream (or margarine), Baking powder, Salt, Water).

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