Kataifi Chicken Pies

Ingredients

Makes 6 pies

½ a large cooked chicken, meat shredded 

200 g Kataifi Pastry, brought to room temperature 

100 g butter, melted

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

4 sage leaves, leaves picked and chopped

200 g speck, diced into 1cm pieces (or bacon)

300 g button mushrooms, quartered 

1 tbsp plain flour 

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 ½ cup of chicken stock

80 ml pouring cream

½ tsp nutmeg 

Salt & pepper

Method

For this Kataifi Pastry recipe, take your Kataifi Pastry out of the fridge at least 2 hours before use to bring it up to room temperature.

Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the onion, speck, garlic, sage and sauté for 3–4 minutes to soften and lightly caramelise.

Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly. Add flour and cook off for a minute then add the mustard, stock, salt and pepper and nutmeg. Bring to the boil to thicken and then add the cream.

Simmer for a further minute or until thick and glossy. Add the chicken and fold through, take off heat and allow to cool. This mixture can be done a day or two ahead of time. 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a 6-hole Texas muffin tin (3/4 cup capacity) with a little of the butter.   

To prepare the Kataifi Pastry, tease the threads of pastry and loosen and place in a bowl. Drizzle over remaining butter and use your hands to coat each strand with the butter.

Portion the Kataifi into twelve bundles, make 6 slightly larger in quantity for the bases. Line the muffin tin with the 6 larger bundles, teasing and firmly pressing the pastry up the sides to form a cup shape. Fill each Kataifi cup with the chicken mixture and then top with the remaining kataifi and another brush of melted butter. 

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe by Justine Schofield - Everyday Gourmet