Denise says:

Finding a mid week dinner that all the family will enjoy can be a challenge. With regular requests for ‘chicken tonight’, this is a tasty puff pastry pie filled with rice, mushrooms, onions and parsley and of course chunky pieces of chicken.
I like to serve it with a selection of green vegetables like broccoli, curly kale and green beans.
Make it either in individual parcels, but it is quicker made into one large pie. I have sprinkled some sesame seeds on top, but cumin seeds; ground coriander or a dusting of paprika can be substituted if preferred.
For a vegetarian twist, you can substitute the chicken for roughly cooked cubes of pumpkin, butternut squash or aubergine.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 1 large pie (serving 10 people) freeze one for another time!

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts - cubed
150ml white wine or water
1 chicken stock cube
250g long grain rice
2 onions – peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil – for frying
250g Chestnut mushrooms
Bunch of fresh parsley – roughly chopped
2 x 375g pack of fresh puff pastry – ready rolled
2 egg yolks beaten – for glazing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds - optional
2 garlic cloves – peeled and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
Sprigs of Parsley

Method

1)Cook the rice in 500ml of chicken stock. Drain and set aside.
2)Place the chicken in a medium sized saucepan. Cover with wine or water. Bring to the boil and poach for 15 minutes or until just cooked.
3)Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook until soft. Take off the heat and add the rice, cooked chicken and parsley. Season well and stir together.
4)Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F/ Gas mark 6.
5)Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking parchment paper. Place one of the pastry sheets along the baking tray. ( If you do not have ready rolled pastry, roll it out to measure 30 cm x 35 cm)
6)Spoon the chicken and rice mixture onto the base layer of pastry leaving a border around the edge. Brush the edges with a little water.
7)Place the second sheet of pastry on top. Using a fork fuse the pastry edges together.
8)Glaze with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
9)Cook for 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown.

To serve the stylish way: Dust the plate with black pepper and garnish with sprigs of parsley.
Tagged in: Chicken, Dinner Party, Family Cooking