By Hetal Bulsara
Local foodie and recipe creator, Hetal Bulsara is a gifted home cook and mother of two who tells a story with each recipe she creates. It is always exciting to have a new creator work with The Spice Merchant and with Hetal's food photography skills and delectable recipes she is no exception.
This creamy and satisfying pie is hard to stop eating and easy to make! The primary flavour is Dukkah, traditionally an Egyptian blend, this spice lends perfectly to making the pie filling flavourful, exotic and heavenly. While commonly Dukkah is loved for its crunchy nutty texture, this version of Dukkah is nut free, raising the flavour profile of the spices in it such as cumin, black pepper and coriander. I can almost guarantee that after tasting this pie, you will keep this nut free Dukkah in your pantry!
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1h 10 minutes (including bake time for 2 batches)
Yields 12 small pies
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken thighs cut into the smallest cubes possible
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 medium onion or 1/4 large chopped onion
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp Corn Starch
2 tsp Nubian Dukkah
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tbsp whipping cream (room temperature)
1 box of butter puff pastry
1 egg, whisked with a fork to baste over the pastry.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Filling
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat, then add in the onions & garlic. Braise until the onions are a light golden brown, around 5-7 mins, stirring frequently.
Add the chicken, salt & Nubian Dukkah, then stir until the chicken is cooked. This should only take around 5-6 mins since the chicken pieces are small. Try not to overcook it or it will taste chewy.
Add in the stock, whipping cream, cream cheese & corn starch. Mix constantly until the texture thickens, about 6 mins.
Allow the mixture to cool completely before filling the pastry.
Pies
Cut 1 pastry sheet into 6 pieces, add filling to each. Fold over itself once & press the edges down. Then use the end of a fork to press the edges down.
Use a tooth pick to make some holes at the top of the pie to release the air while cooking. Brush egg wash over the top of the pie with a pastry brush, this will give it a beautiful golden colour and shine.
Bake at 350F for 18-20 mins, the pie is ready when the top is light golden brown.
Repeat the last 3 steps for the second pastry sheet and Enjoy! It also goes great with Sambhal or garlic mayonnaise!
Note: Make sure the cream cheese, whipping cream and stock are at room temperature, otherwise the filling will split.
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