CHICKEN & ONION POT PIES

SERVES 4. PREP 10 MINS. COOK 1 HR

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 2 large brown onions, sliced into wedges

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• 3 cups organic chicken stock

• 1 tsp Vegeta or stock powder

• ½ cup thickened cream

• 3 sprigs of thyme

• 3 ½ cups roasted chicken

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 180C fan forced.

2 To make the pie filling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium– high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent then add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

3 Reduce the heat and add the flour, stirring frequently.

4 Add the stock, thyme, and Vegeta, stir well and bring to the boil.

5 Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or so until the filling thickens slightly.

6 Take off the heat and stir through cream, chicken and peas until well combined.

7 Place the pie filling into four large oven-proof ramekins. Allow to cool completely. If the pie filling is too hot it will melt the pastry.

8 Remove the pastry from the freezer to partially thaw. Using the ramekin’s diameter as a guide, cut four rounds of the puff pastry. They should be slightly wider than the ramekin to allow for shrinkage.

9 Brush the top of the ramekins lightly with the beaten egg then top with puff pastry rounds and gently press down.

10 Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Make a small slit in the pastry to let the air escape.

11 Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.