Hi Everyone!
This week’s meal is definitely one I’ll be doing again and again. I think I have mentioned before that sometimes the recipes from the Delicious Magazine can be a little daunting to the home cook. Well, this delightful and flavoursome chicken pie was not in the least difficult. So, firstly the ingredients – fresh curry leaves are a little scarce at present, however, Harris Farm do have them and they can be used in many dishes to add flavour so it’s worth not just going for the dried version. We also use pickled eggplant again. I don’t know if you remember but I have used this before and really found it to add a fabulous punch to any dish. (A bit like mango chutney which I am never without in my fridge). The eggplant is available from the Indian section of your local Woolies and is produced by Pataks.
When you’re adding the blitzed hazelnuts to the meringue mixture be sure to fold out any clumps as they tend to stick to each other. The only other thing I had an issue with was that the filling was very runny. Now I really don’t know if that was just me but I ended up putting it in the freezer for a little while to firm it up before spreading it over the meringue. This dessert would easily feed 12 people because it is rich and you only need the smallest slice. Probably making it economical for a crowd. It was yummy (a highly technical word) but I wouldn’t want too much of it. It received 9/10.
Well I’m off to make the chicken filling for the freezer. Hope you give at lease the pie a go because I know your family will love it.
Until next week,
From my table to yours with love x
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°c. Place chicken on a large oven tray and scatter over 2 tsp curry powder. Season. Roast for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then chop into 2cm pieces, reserving cooking juices.
- Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup ghee in a large frypan over a medium-high heat. Cook onions, stirring, for 7 minutes or until soft. Add curry leaves and remaining 2 tsp curry powder, and cook for a further 2 mins. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until a sandy consistency. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly and bring mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until thickened and smooth, then stir through eggplant pickle. Add chicken, cooking juices and spinach, and cook, stirring, for a further 2 mins or until spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and stir through lemon juice, then check seasoning. Pour into a 6-cup (1.5L0 capacity overproof dish.
- Heat garlic, sesame seeds and remaining ½ c ghee in a small saucepan over a medium heat for 1 minute or until ghee has melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Lay 2 sheets of filo on a clean work surface. Brush with garlic and ghee mixture, then scrunch together and lightly place on top of pie filling. Repeat with remaining filo to cover completely. Scatter over extra curry leaves and drizzle over any remaining ghee. Bake for 30 minutes or until filo is golden and crisp.
Notes
Ingredients
Method
- Toast hazelnuts on oven tray in moderate oven for about 5 minutes; cool.
- Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition; beat until sugar is dissolved. Fold in vanilla, vinegar and blitzed hazelnuts. Spread into 2 x 23cm circles on 2 oven trays covered with non-stick baking paper, bake in moderate oven 25 minutes or until firm; cool.
- Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over hot water (or microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes), spread evenly over meringue layers. Spread with half the Cream. Top with other meringue layer, chocolate side down. Spread top and side of cake with remaining Cream, decorate with strawberries and extra whipped cream if desired.
- Have cream cheese and butter at room temperature. Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, add Kahula and cream, beat until combined.
