Spiced Chicken Filo Pastry Pie
By Tom Mitchell-Dawson
This one pan pie is great fun to make and an impressive show stopper when you are entertaining guests and if it couldn’t get any better, there’s hardly any washing up. It may seem like there are lots of ingredients in this recipe but most of them are store cupboard essentials that you will probably have knocking around already. This pie uses filo pastry instead of a more traditional puff pastry. Filo pastry is so easy to use and always comes out super crispy and golden brown but don’t forget to season the filo with salt using the Cole and Mason London mill before you place it in the oven, believe me, it makes all the difference. Picking thyme leaves can be fiddly and time consuming, that’s why in this recipe we use dried thyme from the Cole and Mason herb mill.
Ingredients
250g chicken boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chili, finely diced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp, died thyme
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp butter
1 heaping tbsp flour
250ml chicken stock
100g spinach
3 sheets filo pastry
1 tbsp za’atar
Method
- Preheat oven to 190c Season the chicken with salt and pepper then set a 9 inch oven proof pan over a medium high with a tbsp of olive oil. Add the chicken in batches to brown then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same pan, toss in the onion and carrot and cook for ten minutes to soften. Add the chili and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes. Next add the paprika, cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric and dried thyme and cook for a further 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper then remove everything from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add the butter and allow to melt before adding the flour and cooking out.
- Bit by bit add the stock, stirring as you go until all the flour is incorporated. Season the roux then allow to thicken for a couple of minutes before returning the onion mixture and the chicken back to the pan.
- Add the spinach to the pie filling little by little so as not to overcrowd the pan then allow it to bubble away for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat then scrunch up the filo sheets and place on top of the filling. Brush the filo with 1 tbsp of olive oil then sprinkle over the za’atar and some salt. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Everyone loves a one pan dish. Fun to make and easy to clean down, what could be better. Next time you have guests coming round and are looking for something to cook, think no further.
