Bacon and chicken pie
• 12 medium-sized pickled red jalapeño chillies • about 60ml full-fat cream cheese • 6 rashers of streaky bacon, halved • 12 large Mediterranean potatoes • about 45ml olive oil • 30ml butter • sea salt flakes
Preheat the oven. Cut a slit in each of the jalapeños and remove any seeds; pat dry with paper towels. Spoon a little cream cheese into each chilli and wrap a strip of bacon around each one. Place the chillies on a baking tray and roast for about 15 minutes until the bacon is cooked but before the cheese starts to ooze out.
Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 15 minutes until just soft. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Using an apple corer or the tip of your vegetable peeler, carefully make a hollow in each potato – make sure it's big enough to accommodate a chilli popper.
Carefully insert a cooked popper into each hollow and, if you prefer, close the top of the potato with the removed flesh. Arrange the potatoes snugly next to each other in a roasting pan; drizzle with olive oil and dot with butter. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper and bake until golden brown and crispy (about 40 minutes). Turn over once, halfway through the baking time. Instead of a pastry topping, this pie has woven strips of bacon – and whole eggs inside! It makes for a delicious breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
Makes 1 impressive pie Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Oven temperature: 200°C
• 1.2kg chicken pieces (at least 2 breasts) • 15ml oil • 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 2 bay leaves • 500–750ml stock • 30ml butter • 250g mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped • 3 leeks, chopped • 30ml flour • 250ml cream • 400g spinach, blanched and chopped • 5ml lemon zest • 125ml chopped flat-leaf parsley • a pinch of nutmeg • 400g puff pastry • 9 soft-boiled eggs, peeled • 400g streaky bacon • about 15–30ml sweet chilli sauce (optional)
1
Brown the chicken pieces in the oil. Place them in a pot with the carrots, celery, bay leaf and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 25 minutes until cooked. Drain (keep the stock), allow to cool slightly and flake the chicken. Discard the skin and bones.
Add the butter to the same pan in which the chicken was fried and sauté the mushrooms and leeks until cooked and aromatic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the flour; cook for a minute. Whisk in the cream and 250ml of the reserved stock and simmer until thickened. Stir in the spinach, lemon zest, parsley and nutmeg and allow to cool. Stir in the chicken.
Preheat the oven. Line a deep, square baking pan (23cm) with the puff pastry (roll it slightly thinner if necessary). Place a sheet of baking paper on the pastry, sprinkle some dry beans on top and blind bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the baking paper and beans and bake for a few more minutes to get a crispy, golden brown crust.
Spoon the chicken filling into the pie casing and arrange the whole eggs in-between for an added surprise when you slice the pie. Now weave the streaky bacon tightly (see photo) and place it on top of the pie. Tuck it in around the edges of the filling, rather than cutting off the excess; the bacon top will shrink while the pie is cooking, so it must be slightly bigger to begin with.
Brush the sweet chilli sauce over the bacon and bake for about 25 minutes or until the bacon has browned and the pie is cooked through. Serve immediately. • 4 oranges • 200g butternut noodles • 4 medium carrots, cut into ribbons • 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings • a handful of mixed coriander and mint leaves • a few fresh pea shoots • 60g flaked almonds, toasted DRESSING • a pinch each of salt, sugar and cayenne pepper • 30ml red wine vinegar • 30ml toasted sesame oil • 15ml olive oil
Remove the orange peels and cut the segments from between the membranes. Squeeze any juice from the remaining pulp into a measuring jug. Mix the dressing ingredients together and add the orange juice to taste. Combine the orange segments, butternut noodles, carrots, onion, herbs and pea shoots and mix in the sauce. Spoon onto a platter and sprinkle with nuts.