Ingredients
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4 tbsp Olive Oil
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a knob of Butter
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4 Leeks
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1 tsp ground Cumin
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4 small (plum-sized) preserved Lemon
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2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) Chicken
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2 tbsp plain Flour
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9 fl oz (250 ml) good-quality fresh Chicken broth
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7 oz (200 g) green Olives
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3 tbsp flat leaf Parsley
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10 oz ( 300 g) good-quality butter Puff Pastry
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1 Egg
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Salt
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freshly ground Black Pepper
Directions
The lovely Sunil Vijayakar helped to develop this for my pie range. It may seem like an odd combination but it is divine and won gold in The Great Taste Awards, the food equivalent of the Oscars.
Steps
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1
Done
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Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and the butter in a large casserole. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the cumin, stir it through and then fry for another minute. Stir the lemons into the mixture and then remove the casserole from the heat and set aside. |
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2
Done
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In a frying pan, heat the remaining oil and cook the chicken in batches until it has browned. This will take about 5 minutes. Then put all the chicken and juices in the casserole with the leeks and lemons. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir it in. Allow to cook for 3 minutes, and then gradually stir in the chicken stock. |
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3
Done
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Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for approximately 7 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Stir in the chopped olives and parsley. Remove the casserole from the heat and allow it to cool completely. |
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4
Done
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Once cooled, spoon the chicken mixture into a pie dish and preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Roll out the pastry into a piece that is large enough to cover the dish. Brush the rim of the pie dish with a little of the beaten egg. Cover the pie with the pastry and cut to size. Press around the rim with a fork or your thumb to seal, putting aside any unused pastry. Cut the unused pastry into shapes to decorate the top of the pie. Cut a hole in the top to let steam escape, and brush the pie all over with the egg. Place it in the oven and cook it for 25 minutes until golden. |
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5
Done
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I like to serve with buttered basmati rice (just stir a little butter through the cooked rice) and green beans. Snake beans are particularly lovely; they look and taste very similar to French beans but grow nearly as long as shoe laces. |
