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Moorish chicken pie
Serves 6-8 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs, skin removed
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1⁄2tsp ground cumin
- 1⁄4tsp ground ginger
- 1⁄2tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4tsp cayenne pepper
- olive oil, to drizzle
- 200g plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 85g raisins
- 500ml dark chicken stock
- plain flour, for dusting
- 2 x 200g puff-pastry sheets
- 30g pine nuts
- 35g flaked almonds
- 1 egg yolk beaten with a splash of milk
- icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Season the chicken and place in a large flameproof roasting tin along with the chopped onion, spices and a good drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven and cook, turning the legs once or twice, for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Remove the chicken from the
oven and cool, then pick the meat
from the legs in chunks. Discard
the bones. Put the meat back in
the tray with the spices and onion
and add the tomatoes, raisins and
stock. Bring to a simmer and cook
for around 45 minutes, or until the
liquid has reduced and thickened.
Set this filling aside to cool before stuffing the pie. Lightly flour a work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out one sheet of puff pastry to a roughly 30 x 40cm rectangle. Transfer it to an oiled 30 x 40cm baking tin or sheet. Roll out the remaining sheet of puff pastry to a rectangle that is slightly smaller than the first.
Spread the filling evenly over the pastry on the baking sheet, leaving around 3cm bare along each of the 4 edges. Sprinkle the pine nuts and almonds evenly on top. Cover the filling with the second pastry rectangle. Fold the edges of the bottom crust up over the edges of the top and crimp them decoratively. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Using a knife, make slits all over the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake the pie in the oven at 180C/ 160C Fan/Gas 4 for 40 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and dust with icing sugar before serving.
Alternatively, you can barbecue the pie. Prepare and light a charcoal fire in a kettle-type barbecue to optimum heat. Add a soaked oak log to the side of the coals. Move the coals and wood to the side of the barbecue so you have an indirect heat zone to create a steady, light smoke. Place the pie on the barbecue grill to the side of the coals (the indirect heat zone) and close the lid. The vent of the barbecue should be half-closed. The internal temperature of the barbecue should be around 180C. Cook the pie for about 40 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot inside. Remove the pie from the barbecue and dust with icing sugar before serving.
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