Winter is definitely approaching here in Cape Town, and I am getting excited to immerse myself in Winter recipes. Soups, stews, hearty roasts and other belly warming dishes on are my agenda. Last year I perfected my chicken pie recipe, and this week when it started cooling down, it was the first recipe I thought to make.
I wanted to tweak my regular pie recipe just a little, so I decided to make the mini pies. I also spiced it up a little with a bit of paprika, which gave the pies a lovely sweet and smoky flavour.
Before I get into the recipe, let's explore the history of the pie, and a little about the different types of pies out there
What is a Pie?
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients.
source
History of Pies
The first form of traditional pie is credited to the Ancient Greeks, who served a sweet, fruit-filled version around 5th century BC. The Romans also used a flour, oil and water paste to create a pastry to cover cooked birds and other meats, preventing the juices from leaking out.
Throughout history, the pie was used as an easy, cheap meal, and spread all over Europe, thanks to the well-built roads and infrastructure implemented by the Romans.
In America, the Pilgrims are credited for introducing pies to the continent, and they served as a wonderful means to stretching available food.
Different Types of Pies
Typically, there are two types of pies, single or double crust.
A single-, bottom- or top-crust pie has a filling under or on top of the crust.
A double-crust has all the filling in the centre, and is completely enclosed. This is like my recipe below.
Did You Know?
Throwing a pie in a person's face has been a staple of film comedy since Ben Turpin received one in Mr. Flip in 1909
source
INGREDIENTS
makes ten small pies, or one large pie
- 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 250g assorted mushrooms, sliced finely
- 1 cup of peas
- three large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 onion, sliced into half moons
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 T parsley, chopped finely
- 1 T sage, chopped finely
- 1 T smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1 roll of puff pastry
.jpeg)
METHOD
Fry the onion and garlic until lightly coloured.
While it is frying, mix a little salt, pepper and the paprika into the flour. Lightly coat the chicken with the flour mixture, and add to the pan, frying in batches. You don't want to crowd the pan.
Fry until browned, and remove from pan.
Add the carrots and herbs and fry until softened. Add the mushrooms and peas and cook a little.
.jpeg)
Add the chicken back into the pot, and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the stock, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for a while until the stock reduces and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool
.jpeg)
Grease a large sized muffin tin, and on a clean surface, roll out the puff pastry and cut into rounds. Place the rounds into the muffin tray, and add the filling to the tray. Cover the pies with a top round of pastry and fold over to create a sealed pie. Poke two small holes into the top pastry - this is SUPER IMPORTANT, as it will ensure the pastry is not soggy.
Cook for approximately half an hour until the bottom is golden brown. You can now glaze the top of the pastry with a bit of egg wash for a nice shiny, crispy top.
.jpeg)
Serve with some mash n gravy for the most wholesome, hearty winter's night dinner, or freeze for weekday lunches.
.jpeg)
Please let me know in the comments if you have any winter recipe requests, I love reader requests!
Please consider voting for @adsactly-witness as a witness. To read what we are all about - click here
The winter months are approaching for you where you are in the southern hemisphere? To be clear, you regard June, July and August as cold winter months? That's just such a strange thought to me, being from America; come to think of it, I may have actually never been to the southern hemisphere...
That pie looks super delicious! I'm salivating just looking at the pictures. Great, detailed steps and pictures to let us know if what we're doing even looks right or not. I'll need to see if I can make it sometime!
I've had visitors from abroad who simply fell in love with store bought chicken pot pie, as soon as they tasted it they declared it was their new favorite food. But this looks more rich and healthy, I imagine that they'd just swoon after their first taste of this!
But because pies are so tasty, it just seems like such a waste and shame to throw it in someone's face... At my university, we have a tradition of throwing pies at professors as revenue for their hard tests; but I myself would rather just eat the pies.
Finally, important question; what temperature do you preheat your oven to?
yes! I am in South Africa, so things are cooling down and winter approaches.
I've heard about the American chicken pot pies, I would love to come to the US to do Route 66, and of course, eat something unique in each state.
I do find that making food from scratch yields much more healthy and wholesome food, I try to make most things from scratch.
ANd, yes, thank you for asking. About 180'C/350'F.
Thanks for the lovely comment!
🌻
I like the fact that you are improving your own recipes. That is, you do not follow the template, but cook as you like. I'm sure that thanks to the experiments in your piggy bank recipes there is always something you can surprise any gourmet.
I like different dishes and pies not :). Pie is a dish that can be very diverse. Today, thanks to you, I learned more about pies than I knew before. I liked that when preparing this pie recipe you have the opportunity to divide it into 10 small pies. Although for me it would be more important to see one big. This is a matter of preference.
All the ingredients are easily accessible. This means that we have the opportunity to make this cake. I like that you describe the whole process of cooking in detail. This is important because for many it will facilitate the task. For example, for me. Photos at all stages of cooking look very appetizing. But of course the most appetizing picture is the final product :) Uvas turned out beautiful (and I'm sure that tasty) pies.
Thanks for the detailed and high-quality recipe! I like it!
thank you so much 🌻🌻🌻
I have developed a lot of recipes like this - I will take a classic dish and find a recipe online, make it their way, make notes on how I would approve it, then make it again with my improvements, and go on like that until I get my own perfect recipe!
The reason I make the pies in the small version is that we are only two people in my household, so if I need to freeze the leftovers, or take them as lunch for work, it is much easier.
Thank you for your lovely comment!
🌻
You made me so hungry @princessmewmew! What kind of pie is this? I expected a fruit pie :D :D But, you really surprised me in a good way! this is the thing I should try one day, it looks delicious! But the summer is coming here so I'm kinda shifting myself to cold salads. That's my summer food :D
On top of all this, you added the vine! It can't get better than that haha Cooking with wine and you know drinking a bit, getting in the mood :D
I really like your photos in your posts! Are you using DSLR camera or?
Anyway, thanks for sharing and making me hungry again, even though I had my breakfast an hour ago xD I will be waiting for that lunch like a crazy man haha
Have a great day, the Winter is coming haha
It's a savoury pie, @whack.science! Similar to Polish pierogies, I'd say.
These pies are great to take on a picnic, even cold, they are delish!
And, yes, vino for the chef (and a little for the dish!)
Thanks for your lovely comment - I am actually using the AMAZING camera on my new iPhone 8 Plus. It's just incredible. xx
Good
Tasty!
yummmm
It really look so yummy
exactly @fproductions
Beautiful. That's the kind of food that warms you on the inside and the outside :)
I'd never thought about making meat pie in a muffin tin. What a great idea. I think I'll try it.
Thank you for another beautiful food post. Really nice recipe and really nice photography.
I agree!! 😊😊 @bigtom13
thank you - that means a lot from you :)
I am full of kitchen hacks like this - I like to cook, but I don't like to clean a million dishes or stand at the stove for hours.
OMG recipes stolen and given too mum, I want pie. YUMMMMMMOOOO.
Definitely gonna keep following your account for all these amaze balls recipes. THANKS HEAPS!
hehe! Mosh, mommy! It's pretty easy to make, you could also make for momma?
Thanks for your sweet comment 🌻
Hi @adsactly if you hadn't mentioned Cape Town I wouldn't know you are from South Africa. Nice to know you are in the Mother City, I am in Joburg.
Lovely post about the winter recipe, my recipe or meal really do not change much in winter, probably the change in my meal could be more hot meal as like hot meal (hot chillies and pepper) and then definitely lots hot beverages consumption.
I love the pies and my favourite is the steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies...
I (the author) am from Cape Town. Nice to see other Saffa's online x
I also love a steak and kidney pie
See ya around! 🌻
smiles I get excited when I see fellow South Africans on steemit... permit my excitement lol
Wohoooooo, it looks delicious and really heart warming!!Also interesting the como of veggies, chicken and pastry! Love it! :x;x
thanks so much babes! It's quite a traditional combo here 🌻🌻🌻
Lovely food
This is the perfect meal for a cold winter day. Would love to get next to a fire and have this!
Ah, thank you very much! You are spot on, this is absolutely fireside food
Ah, thank you very much! You are spot on, this is absolutely fireside food
This look as fantastic than so tempted to consume as ever
sehr schöner post, werde mal versuchen dieses Gericht nach zu kochen.
danke schön! lass es mich wissen, wenn du es tust
Mhhhhhhhhhh, tasty!!!!
I agree 😄
It seems delicious..Thanks for the share..
wow awesome food stuff
thank you very much!! 🌻
You made me laugh @adsactly because I really know what you mean when saying "My crazy way of cooking is chaotic..." I have the same "crazy way" and I've lost lots of tasty"investions" as well. Thanks for sharing ! Great recipe and mouth-watering photos. Upvoted!
I’m not really sure where I said that?
I am not sure that steak must be included in our staple food diet. As a human we created to eat chicken just like horse. As we observe we have the same type of teeth as herbivores animals so we are herbivores in nature. By the way great food my friend
Very nice photos! The Chicken Paprika Pie cookies look delicious with that melting Chicken, just yummy :)
They were my favorite for years. Now I get them sometimes, because I have changed my diet. But they are definitely the best!
thank you. I must say they are quite rib sticking, so it is not an every day dish
Seeing many tasty foods, spicy water comes in,
delicious food😜
Awesome post. Need to try this one myself! Best wishes from Germany
nicely done! 😁👍👍
I love this food a lot
@adsctly thank you for shearing this delicious recipe. i will definitely try
Nice your post
HELLO GOOD ARTICLE VOTED AND REESTEEMEAD.
Nice food, capetown is lovely isn't it? i hope to be there one of these days.
Nice post.
Thank You for Share this recipe.
i love this type of food recipe amazing dear.
thanka for shareing....
wow very nice post.
Thank You for Share this recipe. @adsactly
wow.nice on it.keep it up.thanks for sharing.keep going on your way
thank you very much ! your comment is appreciated 🌻🌻
Beautiful food photography
I like it this food. I appreciate your blog.
Looks very delicious and easy to make. While you wait for the nice winter days, we are just our of it. Spring has started and we are waiting for the hot summer days. But will definitely miss the winter :)
wow very nice
Lovely menu.......
Winter is done here, but I definitely keep your post! So many good ideas!
Winter is done here, but I definitely keep your post! So many good ideas!
vow so simple recipe, I have do try to do this:))
Hm I think I will try to make this one :)
I love this food and enjoying it
Nice combination
Considering that here the summer is coming i would try it if somebody would make it for me :)
Me right now after going through this 🤤🤤🤤😍😍😍 @adsactly
I love this food it is very interesting . wow amazing .
Thanks
Lovely!
Looks so delicious!!
Thanks for sharing and have a great winter ahead~
why thank you! kind words 🌻