I recently borrowed a great cookery book from a friend and as I was glancing through I had the urge to try out something new. Well, I have made pies before but they have been open ones. This one looked different and was also cooked differently than my normal style, so I zeroed on this one. But I decided to go with different ingredients essentially what I had readily available in my refrigerator! Taste wise came out well 🙂 texture wise could have been better!! Well I will tell you the mistake I made as I go along!
For the pastry
All purpose flour (Maida / refined flour) – 3 cups
Butter – 150 gms (cubed)
Chilled Water – 1/4 cup
For the filling
Chicken breast – 250 gms
Onion – 1 nos (small sized) – finely chopped
Mushroom – 50 gms (sliced)
Potato – 1 small (sliced)
Fresh coriander – 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper for seasoning
egg – 1 no (beaten)
Pastry
- Put flour in a large bowl and add butter
- Rub the butter into the flour gently till you reach a breadcrumb kid of consistency. (this needs patience :))
- Now add chilled water, little by little as you work the mixture. It will start clinging together
- Move the mixture to a floured worktop and gently knead the dough until smooth
- Wrap it in a clingfilm and refrigerate for atleast 20 minutes
For the filling
- Cube the chicken in to small pieces
- To above add all vegies and season it
Preparing the pie
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degree C (350 degree F)
- Take 2 quarter plates of different size. 1 should be smaller than the other by few centimeters
- Keep 1/3rd of the pastry and reserve to make lids
- Roll out the rest and using the bigger plate cut out circles
- In the center add filing
- Roll out the remaining pastry and using smaller plate cut out the lids and cover each of the circle with filling
- Using your fingertip and little water seal the pie .Bring it up and pinch the edges together
- Make a hole or a cross in the middle of each pie
- Brush it with egg and slide it onto baking sheet
- Bake for 1 hour
- Serve as it is or with your favorite sauce
Area where I went wrong was I rolled out thick circles therefore had to bake it longer than 1 hour and in the end the pastry was tough in few places. Since I normally cook my filling before putting inside the pie and spent less time in the oven; I was wary and subconsciously made thicker pie crust fearing what if the filling comes out during baking…which in the hindsight I feel was nothing to be worried about! Anyways, there always a next time 🙂
till next time…have fun cooking!
(is there any recipe you would specifically want to know? …do let me know! 
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Akshayapatram 