• Serve this over Easter – it’s the perfect family feast!

    Recipe, styling and photograph by Katelyn Allegra

    Easter chicken pie

    By Katelyn Allegra Serves: 4
    Total Time: 2 hrs

    Ingredients

    • BUTTER CHICKEN MARINADE

    • 125ml (½ cup) plain, full cream yoghurt
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) lemon zest
    • 10ml (2 tsp) ground turmeric
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) garam masala
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) chilli flakes
    • 10ml (2 tsp) paprika
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) freshly grated ginger
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
    • 750g chicken breasts, cut into cubes
    • CURRY

    • 15ml (1 tbsp) canola oil
    • 1 onion, peeled and sliced
    • 60ml (4 tbsp) tomato purée
    • 5ml (1 tsp) brown sugar
    • pinch salt
    • 250ml (1 cup) double-thick cream
    • 20g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
    • 1 x 400g roll store-bought puff pastry, defrosted
    • 1 whisked egg, to brush

    Instructions

    1

    Combine all of the marinade ingredients with the chicken in a sealable bag or bowl. If you’re using a bowl, cover in cling film and refrigerate, 1 hour or overnight.

    2

    Add the canola oil to a large saucepan over high heat. Sauté the onion until soft and golden brown. Add the marinated chicken to the onion, along with the marinade, about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

    3

    Add the tomato purée, brown sugar and salt. If the sauce is too acidic, add another 5ml (1 tsp) brown sugar. Turn the heat down to a simmer, about 20 minutes, and allow to reduce. Stir through the double-thick cream, then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the fresh coriander.

    4

    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm-diameter pie dish. Unroll the puff pastry enough to cut out a disc a little bigger than your pie dish. Line the dish with the puff pastry disc, prick the base and cut off any excess pastry. Refrigerate, 20 minutes. Using a chicken-shaped cookie cutter, cut chicken shapes from the rest of the puff pastry, place them on baking paper and refrigerate, 30 minutes.

    5

    Once the pie case has chilled, line it with baking paper, fill with baking beans or pulses and blind-bake, 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Once out of the oven, remove the baking beans or pulses, discard the baking paper and bake, a further 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Fill the pastry case with the butter chicken curry. Form a lid with the chicken cut-outs. Lightly brush the chicken cut-outs with the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven, until the pastry is golden brown, crispy and cooked through, about 20 – 25 minutes.

    ALSO SEE: Spring-chicken pie

    Spring-chicken pie

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com