Easy Chicken Pie South African Style

Ingredients

250g frozen puff pastry that is thawed
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions grated or finely chopped
1 cup corn kernels
100g sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 whole cooked chicken deboned and chopped or shredded depending on how you like it
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon tobasco sauce
2 tablespoons flour
500ml chicken stock
250ml fresh cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Before you start this recipe, pop your frozen pastry in the fridge for about 2 hours to thaw. It is best to thaw it out in the freezer than on the counter or microwave, just seems to stay intact better.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan on a medium heat and fry the onions until they are soft, add the mushrooms and fry for about another 3 minutes stirring occasionally.

Now add the corn, frozen peas and chicken and cook for a few minutes to mix in all of the ingredients. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In another pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Stir or whisk well to cook the flour a little, be careful not to burn it, you want it to be yellow not brown. Now remove it from the heat and add the chicken stock in a slow stream, also add the tabasco whisk very well while adding the stock until all of the flour is mixed in and you have no lumps.

Pop it back on the stove and bring to the boil while you stir continuously, then reduce the heat to low, add the cream and stir until you feel it starting to thicken up. Remove from the heat, toss in the chicken mixture and give it a good mix.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish that is about 20cm x 20cm x 10cm or a shallower one that is about 30cm x 20cm x 6cm and then place the pastry over the top. Tuck it in and fold any overlaps back onto the top. Cut 2 x 4cm slits in the pastry, wash the top with the beaten egg and place in a 180 Celsius oven for about 30 mins or until the pastry is crisp and browned.