Chicken Pie with Spinach and Feta - by My Kitchen Stories

Ingredients

Hot water crust pastry:

150g butter, salted or unsalted
200mL water
2 whole eggs
450g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 whole egg yolk
1/8 tsp salt for glazing, beaten together with yolk

Filling:

200g onion, chopped into a small dice
100g celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs oregano, chopped
250g frozen spinach, chopped
500g chicken mince
50g flour
250mL chicken stock
100g cheddar cheese, grated
1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped for mash
150g Danish feta
100g butter
5g salt and pepper
100mL olive oil
1 whole egg yolk

Method

Hot water crust pastry:

Put the butter and water into a small pot and put over a medium heat until the butter dissolves and the liquid reaches boiling point. Takes off heat.

Mix the flour and salt and pour into a mixer bowl.

Mix the two eggs together in a cup, breaking up with a fork. Pour the flour and egg into the mixer, add the water and butter mixture turning on to low immediately. Remember the liquid is warm and might cook the egg if it sits too long.

Mix until the dough forms a ball. Pour out onto bench and push the dough into a disc. If using a wooden spoon, stir until the liquid is all but mixed in and then knead lightly. Over kneading will give a tougher crust, so work it gently until it is nice and smooth.

If your dough is sticky and stays in clumps in your hands, sprinkle with more flour until it just comes together.

Cool the pastry a little and refrigerate when cold.

Use a little flour to roll out the dough and push into a greased pie plate.

Filling:

Heat the oven to 180 C or 350 F.

Line the pie dish, with a bit of pastry overhanging the sides. Fill with baking paper and baking beads or beans and bake at 180 C for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until starting to colour. The pastry will cook more once the filling is in, once done set aside.

Over a medium heat, put olive oil, onion, garlic, celery and oregano into a pot and sweat gently for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken mince and break it up a bit while stirring, until it starts to colour.

Add the flour and stir through, heat well before adding 3/4 of the stock and the spinach. Keep stirring and breaking down the spinach until the sauce thickens. Season well, tasting as you go.

Stand aside while making the mash.

Put the potatoes on to steam, prepare the feta mixture by breaking it up in the milk. Warm the milk in a saucepan slowly, or use the microwave until it is just warm – don’t boil. Break up the feta with a fork and mix through the milk.

Once the potatoes are riced or mashed, add the butter and salt. Mix well, then start to add the milk, mixing well until it’s all in. Taste for salt and pepper and add if needed. Finally, break the egg yolk with a fork and mix in one tablespoon of water, whisk briskly through the potato until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the pastry. Spoon or pipe the potato on top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Test the internal temperature is around 80 C, or poke a knife into the centre of the pie after 30 minutes and feel the knife to test the temperature. Remember the filling is already cooked.

Notes:

You can make both the filling and mash ahead and cool down, using them when you want to.

Make sure the filling isn’t extremely hot when you add it to the pastry. Let it cool down a little as this will help the pastry cook better and crisp up on the bottom.

The pastry is firm enough when cooked, to withstand a very deep pie plate or cake tin.

Credits: My Kitchen Stories

Photo Credits: My Kitchen Stories