Tag Archives: pastry

The answer is pie – Part 2 – The Glorious Pie

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Chicken and Leek pie
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Who can resist a good pie?- and this is a very good one. If you have made your own pastry that's all to the good, but if not, it will still be a thing of beauty and everyone will love you for it. Poaching the chicken is a really good wheeze as it not only gives you really tender meat but the stock is sublime. You will have too much so plenty leftover to make a wintry soup, sauce or base for risotto.
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Chicken and Leek pie
Print Recipe
Who can resist a good pie?- and this is a very good one. If you have made your own pastry that's all to the good, but if not, it will still be a thing of beauty and everyone will love you for it. Poaching the chicken is a really good wheeze as it not only gives you really tender meat but the stock is sublime. You will have too much so plenty leftover to make a wintry soup, sauce or base for risotto.
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings: depending on greed
Instructions
  1. Put the chicken in a heavy pan with the carrots, celery, onion, bay, rosemary, peppercorns and salt. Pour over cold water to come halfway up the chicken. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover tightly and cook for 1-1/4 hours until the chicken is very tender.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot, then strain the stock. Measure 450ml of the stock (the rest can be cooled, then kept in the fridge for up to 2 days for another dish, or frozen)
  3. Remove all the meat from the chicken and cut into bite sized chunks.
  4. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the leeks and cook gently for 2-3 mins until slightly softened. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
  5. Simmer for 2 mins, then remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, crème fraiche, tarragon and lemon juice and zest. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Stir in the chicken, then transfer to a 11/5 litre deep pie dish. Put a pie funnel in the centre of the pie, if you have one.
  6. Roll out the pastry to about 5cm all round than the top of the pie dish. Cut a strip all round the rolled out pastry, about 2cm wide.
  7. Brush the rim of the pie dish with a little beaten egg, then press the pastry strip onto it.
  8. Brush the pastry strip with egg, then lift up the main piece of pastry to cover the pie. Press the edges firmly to seal the pie, then pinch the edges all round between your fingers.
  9. Make a hole in the centre of the pastry with the tip of a knife, then brush the pastry all over with egg. Use the trimmings to decorate the pie as you wish, then brush the trimmings with egg. Bake for 25-35 mins, until the pastry is crisp and deep golden. Serve with a good seasonal green veg such as buttered cabbage, kale or broccoli. A pile of carrots or some roasted sweet potato chips on the side are also good.
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The answer is pie – Part 1: the crust

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In these dark drear days of January the answer is pie
I haven’t made puff pastry since college days, too complicated, too specialist,cba(can’t be arsed) but rough puff is a different matter. So easy to make, so satisfying, so silky to the touch. And a pie topped with home made pastry is a thing to celebrate- and we have much to celebrate at the moment. My step-daughter Zoe gave birth to a plumptious baby girl last week (hurrah) and when asked what she needed from us when we next visit top of the list was food, particularly the kind you can eat one-handed as greedy little Martha needs constant feeding.
So a pie it is. Chicken and leek I reckon. The filling can be scooped up with a fork and the pastry, well if you cook it well it will be crisp enough to be hand-held.
Before you start make sure your butter is nice and cold. Best to weigh it first, then return the weighed portion to the fridge for an hour if time allows. Well chilled butter is less at risk of melting during handling which can be a messy business. Once made, the pastry can be used straight away in pretty much any recipe that calls for puff pastry, or wrap it in cling film and it will keep in the fridge for several days or freeze to use later. So get this made and tomorrow I’ll give you the recipe for the pie.
If you would love a hands-on session I still have a place or two available on my pastry making workshop this spring which will also cover choux and sweet shortcrust. http://www.marycadogan.co.uk/workshops/ The sessions will be held in the light and airy kitchen of my cottage kitchen in the heart of Somerset and will be very relaxed and informal There is also a breadmaking workshop if you’ve always wanted to master a good loaf. Both are full morning sessions with lunch and plenty of good things to take home.

Rough puff pastry

150g chilled butter
200g plain flour
2 tsp lemon juice
About 120ml cold water

1 Cut the butter into fingernail sized pieces. Tip the flour into a mixing bowl and add a little salt. Add the butter and use a round ended knife to evenly distribute it through the flour.img_2510 img_2511
2 Add the lemon juice and water and mix with the knife to soft lumpy dough.img_2512 Add an extra tbsp of water if needed.img_2520 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a square.img_2521
3 Roll the dough out into an oblong about 36cm x 12 cm. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down to form a square. img_2522 img_2524Seal the edges with a rolling pin, img_2527then give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the rolling and folding. Chill for 20 mins.
4 Repeat the rolling and folding twice more(6 times in all), then chill for a further 20 mins.img_2531
Your pastry is now ready to use.

A spring tart

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After three long months without a proper kitchen, 400 tea bags, industrial quantities of chocolate hobnobs and a daily battle with dust the builders have finally left. At last I can cook again and like any addict denied their fix I am overdosing at ever turn. Cakes for the village shop- of course, friends for the the weekend, why not? And as a huge thank you for all our lovely neighbours who took us in and fed us when we were staring ready meals in the face we are having a gang of them over this week for a kitchen supper washed down with a few glasses of wine. Over the next few blogs I plan to share the recipes for the meal with you and today it’s the starter. With piles of fabulous local asparagus now in abundance this tart seemed like a no brainer. No eggs or cream, just a puffy pillow of a tart that can be assembled ahead and slipped into the oven while our guests enjoy a glass of fizz. I don’t want you to think I’m showing off but I made the pesto that I smeared under the spears with the wild garlic that grows in profusion around the local riverbanks and it’s not too late to make some for yourself if you are quick. If that’s not an option a bought pesto will do just fine. Happy days.

Asparagus and pesto tart
Serves 4

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20 fine asparagus spears
320g pack ready rolled puff pastry (I used Tesco finest-very good)
8 tsp pesto
100g soft rindless goats cheese
a little olive oil
4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
green salad, to serve

Snap each asparagus spear, it will break where the base becomes woody. Peel the end of each spear.Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Unroll the pastry and cut into four oblongs about 10cm by 5cm. They need to be a bit larger than the trimmed asparagus and wide enough to take 5 spears with a small margin.
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Put the pastry oblongs on the baking sheets and mark a line around each about 1cm in from the edges using the point of a sharp knife. Spread with pesto inside the marked lines and spoon over a few blobs of cheese. Snuggle 5 asparagus spears over each.IMG_1596 (1)

Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 20-25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden and the asparagus is tender.IMG_1598 (1)

Serve with a green salad with a dressing pimped up with chopped herbs- chives, watercress and basil are all good
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