Joe Wicksis well-known for his incredible work in getting the UK moving during the Coronavirus pandemic with his PE with Joe workouts. But the fitness trainer is also a brilliant cook (he even has his own weaning cookbook!) and his chicken pie is one of his most popular dishes. Warm and comforting, it makes the perfect family meal for dinner. Why not give it a go this week...
Image credit: Maja Smend
Preparation Time
20 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
2 large knobs of butter
1 large leek, washed and chopped into 2cm pieces
200g mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 x 250g chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
250ml chicken stock
1 tbsp cornflour
100ml double cream
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves
About 6 sheets of filo pastry
Drizzle of olive oil
Salad or veg, to serve
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Preheat your oven to 190°C (fan 170°C, gas mark 5).
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Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the leek and mushrooms and fry for 2–3 minutes until they just start to soften. Crank up the heat to high, add the chicken pieces and fry for a further 2 minutes – the chicken won’t be cooked through at this point – then pour in the chicken stock and let it come to a simmer.
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Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth, then pour into the pan, along with the cream. Bring back to the boil, stirring gently, and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, then tip the whole lot into a pie dish about 28cm x 15cm. Set aside to cool a little.
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Take a sheet of filo and roughly crumple it in your hands – there is no right or wrong to this method! Place the crumpled filo on top of the chicken filling in the pie dish and repeat with the remaining filo sheets.
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Drizzle the pastry with olive oil, then bake the pie for about 20 minutes, by which time the filo will have crisped up and turned golden brown in places.
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Serve up your pie with fresh salad or some vegetables.
Recipe from Lean in 15.