Meraai se Chicken Pie (Paai)

Old classic with a twist

Serves: 8-10 people

Ingredients:

• 2 kg Chicken fillets - skin and boneless
• 250ml Chicken stock
• 250ml Cup white wine
• 30ml Chopped garlic
• 5ml Salt
• 5ml Pepper
• 200g Ham - I used Bergdale Gypsy Ham (light smokey taste - bacon too overpowering)
• 2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
• 250g Button mushrooms - quartered
• 250ml Chopped parsley

Sauce:

• 250g Butter (Yes, this is correct!)
• 250ml Flour
• 500ml Chicken stock (the stock you kept from cooking the chicken)
• 250ml Sour cream
• 500ml Milk
• 400 Puff Pastry
• 1 Egg, beaten for egg wash

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat the chicken stock, win, garlic, salt and pepper in a pot and add the chicken breasts to the stock. Poach for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
3. Remove chicken from the pot, pour the stock in a jug, but keep it for the sauce.
4. Cut chicken into smaller pieces and mix with ham, onions, mushrooms and parsley.
   (take note that the mushroom, onions and parsley must be raw) in a mixing bowl.
5. In the same pot that you have used for the chicken, melt the butter over medium heat and add all the flour and stir for 1 minute.
   Add the chicken stock, the milk and the sour cream and stir until you have a rich creamy sauce. Add the chicken and other ingredients to the sauce and mix through.
   Transfer mixture to a big pie dish and cool slightly. Roll out the pastry and cut a "lid" big enough to cover the pie.
   Place on the pie, make a little steam hole in the middle of the pie and brush with egg wash.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.
7. Serve with steamed broccoli, some boiled potatoes or a simple green salad.

Credit:  http://www.my-easy-cooking.com/recipes/

Thanks Nina Timm