Spiced Chicken Filo Pie Recipes

SPICED CHICKEN POT PIES

Steps:

• For the spice blend: Mix all the ingredients together. Store at room temperature in an airtight jar for up to 3 months.
• For the chicken pot pie: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet, braiser or pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the skillet. Cook until the skin is golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Then turn the thighs over and transfer the pan to the oven and bake until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 10 to 15 more. (Alternatively, you can turn the chicken thighs and on the stove and not for 15 to 18 minutes more, but it might get spitty!.) Transfer the chicken to a plate leaving the fat in the pan. Heat the pan over medium and add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and hawaij to the vegetable mixture and cook for another minute, add the flour and cook, stirring, for another minute.
• Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Gradually add a ladle of the stock into the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, allowing it to thicken before adding another ladle full. Stir in the dill, parsley and peas and then reduce to low. Pull the chicken off the bones, discard or snack on the skin, chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and add it to the pan. Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
• Ladle into 4 1/2-quart oven proof bowls or cocottes and place them on a rimmed baking sheet, which will make them easier to transfer and will also catch any of the mixture that overflows in the oven.
• On a work surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet so that it's big enough to cut into 4 squares that are about an inch larger than the bowls. Cut into four equal squares and cut two slits in the center (it's easiest to do this while the puff pastry is on the counter versus on top of the pies). Lay the puff pastry on top of the bowls so that it sits comfortably. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt and cover liberally with sesame seeds. Bake until the pastry is golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

CHICKEN & LEEK FILO PIE

Steps:

• Heat a third of the butter in a large saucepan, cook the leeks for 10 mins or until softened, then tip onto a plate and repeat with another third of the butter and the mushrooms. Heat the remaining butter in the same saucepan and, once melted, stir in the flour and cook the sandy paste for 1 min, then stir in the chicken stock a ladleful at a time. Leave on a low heat to simmer for 5 mins, then stir the chicken, leek, mushrooms, cream and mustard into the sauce, add the parsley and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Spoon into a 20cm pie dish and leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lay a sheet of filo on a chopping board and brush with olive oil, then place on top of the pie with the corners resting on the sides of the dish, then repeat the process, placing the next sheet slightly off-centre - the idea is to fan the sheets of filo. Brush every layer with oil, and on the last layer sprinkle over salt, thyme leaves and nigella seeds. Press the pastry gently into the edge of the dish. Bake for about 1 hr until the pastry is deep golden, then remove from the oven and serve with buttered cabbage and mashed potato, if you like.

SPICED CHICKEN & APRICOT PASTILLA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish and cook the onion and garlic for 8 mins until soft. Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds until aromatic, then add the chicken. Pour in the chicken stock and season. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 mins, or until the chicken is tender.
• Lift the chicken pieces onto a plate. Add the honey and almonds to the cooking liquid and simmer until thick and reduced by half, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, finely shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir in the lemon zest and juice, apricots and parsley, then leave to cool. Can be chilled for up to two days.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Unwrap the pastry, keeping any you're not working with under a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Brush a 22-23cm springform or loose-bottomed round tin with a little oil. Push two pastry sheets into the tin to line the base, brushing them with melted butter and leaving a little extra up the sides. Repeat this with two more sheets across the other diameter of the tin so all sides are lined. Patch up any holes or thin patches with another sheet of buttered pastry.
• Spoon in the chicken mixture and pat down evenly. Sit another two sheets of pastry on top, brushing the melted butter between the layers again, and scrunching the edges of the pastry around the sides. Brush the top with a little more butter and bake on the heated baking sheet for 30 mins until crisp and golden brown. It's best eaten warm, so leave to cool for about 30 mins. Dust with a pinch of icing sugar and cinnamon to serve, if you like.

SPICY CHICKEN PHYLLO ROLLS

Steps:

• In a deep 12-inch skillet bring broth or water to a boil and add chicken breasts in one layer. Reduce heat and poach chicken at a bare simmer, turning once, 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and cool chicken in poaching liquid 20 minutes. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch cubes.
• In a large bowl stir together chicken, sour cram, scallion, lime juice, jalapeño, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Chill filling, covered, at least 2 and up to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
• On a work surface arrange 1 phyllo rectangle with a short side facing you and lightly brush with egg wash. Put 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center of lower third of rectangle and fold long sides of phyllo over filling to cover. Lightly brush folded phyllo with egg wash and roll up jelly-roll fashion. Make more rolls with remaining phyllo and filling, brushing with egg wash in same manner.
• Arrange rolls, seam side down, on baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Serve rolls with salsa if desired.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and saffron; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to simmer. Sprinkle chicken with salt; add to broth mixture. Gently simmer chicken uncovered until cooked through, reducing heat if necessary to prevent boiling, about 20 minutes. Stir in raisins. Set skillet aside until chicken is cool enough to handle.
• Transfer chicken to plate. Shred chicken coarsely and return to skillet. If sauce is thin, simmer over medium heat until sauce coats chicken thickly. Stir in cilantro and parsley. Season filling with salt and pepper. Cool filling completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.
• For phyllo:
• Finely grind almonds, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and cinnamon in mini processor.
• Stack 10 phyllo sheets on work surface. Invert 9-inch glass pie dish onto stack. Cut around dish through phyllo, making ten 10-inch rounds. Remove dish. Cover rounds with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel.
• Brush same pie dish with melted butter. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface; brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat stacking with 3 more phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Fit phyllo stack into prepared pie dish. Brush with butter. Spoon filling evenly over. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface. Brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat with 2 phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Place stack atop filling; top with remaining phyllo round. Tuck in edges. Drizzle more butter over top. Cut 4 slits through top phyllo stack to allow steam to escape. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered until phyllo is golden and filling is heated through, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.