Potty About Pie

Every now and then a certain dish will pop in my head and I'll start fantasizing about the taste, the smell, the wonderful textures blah blah blah and no matter what I do I can not shake it until I eat it. The dish that's stuck in my head today is Chicken Pot Pie.

It's a terribly cold and miserable day outside and the best remedy I can think of to counter the drab is to make some fresh hot pies. I love love love making pies, have never really been a fan of eating them (store bought ones) but I do enjoy the odd one or 2 homemade ones. I don't make them often which I should really as my husband loves a good pie or 3 and so do the kids. Well, the kids love the crust as they think scrunching pastry up and letting it crumble to the floor for the dog is fun. I love that the kids love it because it's pack full of vegetable goodness. If you use your own made stock and have controlled the salt content than it's even healthier still, but if you don't a little stock cube now and then doesn't hurt.

 Chicken Pot Pie

5 chicken thighs
3 leeks
2-3 celery sticks
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 carrots
1 large red capsicum
handful of parsley
2 tablespoons plain flour
1.5 cup of chicken stock
1 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
puff pastry sheets (I used store bought but if you are a goddess of kitchen and time, please make your own - then send me some)
egg wash (1 egg with a little water or milk whisked for brushing on pastry)

1. Cut vegetables to your liking, you can dice it all or leave it chunky, up to you. I have sliced them to about 3cm wide, whatever you feel like really. Cook all vegetables except capsicum in olive oil until it's cooked down and starts to caramelised. Then add chicken that has been sliced and cook for a further 5 minutes.

2. Add flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add stock, parsley, capsicum and let simmer. The mixture will thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly.

3. Place in either one big dish for a family size pie or what I did was make 6 serves out of the mix. 3 were put in large single ramekins, 2 into smaller ones (kiddie size) and 1 into a bowl and immediately into my mouth.

4. I like to sprinkle a thin layer of parmesan on top of mix before pastry goes on. This is optional of course. With or without cheese, place puff pastry on top of pie dish, brush with egg wash and pop in oven. Preheated 200 degrees approx 20 minutes or until pastry has puffed and looking golden.