A hearty winter warmer recipe

WITH winter upon us, why not try your hand at this wholesome Table Bay-inspired chicken and mushroom pie recipe that can be easily prepared in your home?

Get out your favourite pie dish, warm up the oven and get ready to spruce up your cooking skills in just ten easy steps.

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‘A chicken and mushroom pie is a nice wholesome dish to try in the comfort of your home for the whole family to enjoy on these colder winter days,’ says Wesli Jacobs, Executive Sous Chef at The Table Bay Hotel.

‘It’s a dish that works well on its own, but it’s even tastier with a side of sautéed veg.’

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIE

Serves: 4
Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Chicken and mushroom pie filling
· 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cubed
· 150g of button mushrooms, quartered
· 1 small onion, chopped
· 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
· 50g butter
· 2 tbsp plain flour, plus more for dusting
· 300ml milk
· 200ml chicken stock
· 200g peeled baby carrots
· 100g leek stems cut into quarters
· 100g green beans
· 20g micro greens
· White pepper to season, freshly ground
· 2 tbsp chives, chopped
· 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
· 60g grated cheese
· 1 egg, beaten
· 2 tbsp olive oil
· Salt to season

Method
1. For the cheese pastry, sift the 120g flour and pinch of salt into a bowl. Dice the 30g butter and 30g lard, then rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Mix in the 60g grated cheese, add just 1 beaten egg to bring the mixture together as a firm dough. Knead lightly and wrap the dough in cling film. Chill until required.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
4. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the 3 boneless chicken breasts and cook until it starts to turn white. Add the 150g mushrooms and continue to fry until the chicken is golden-brown and the mushrooms have released all their moisture. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add a touch more oil to the same pan and sweat 1 small onion and 1 garlic clove for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside with the chicken and mushrooms.
6. Melt 50g butter in a saucepan, stir in the 2 tbsp flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly until it has formed a thick smooth paste.
7. In a bowl, mix 200ml chicken stock, 300ml milk, white pepper and salt together. Pour the liquid slowly into the flour mixture, whisking constantly on a medium heat until smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
8. Stir in the 2 tbsp chopped parsley and 2 tbsp chopped chives, and pour the sauce over the chicken and mushroom mixture. Mix well, then spoon into a pie dish and leave until completely cool.
9. Roll out the cheddar cheese pastry dough on a lightly floured surface until it about 3mm thick. Brush the edges of the pie dish with 1 beaten egg; lay the pastry on top, press down the edges and trim. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg.
10. Make two or three slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape, bake the pie in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top.
11. Sauté baby carrots, leeks and green beans in pan until tender. Serve vegetables alongside baked pie and micro greens for garnish.

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