Chinatown Chicken Pie by Brad Carter

Michelin-starred chef Brad Carter is a one off and so is his debut book from which we are delighted to bring you this British staple inspired recipe for Chinatown Chicken Pie.  It’s a mash up of takeaway curry and one of Britain’s favourite, the humble pie. It’s simple, comforting but full of flavour, the perfect dish for the weekend.

Recipe sourced from ‘Staff’ – the debut book from Michelin-starred Chef Brad Carter

The book is currently available to purchase through the restaurant’s online shop, Facebook or via the Shop link on their Instagram profile.

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 20 – 25 minutes

Equipment

• Large bowl
• 20cm Saucepan
• 24cm Sauté Pan

Ingredients

• 4 Cotswold white chicken legs, boneless
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 50ml grapeseed oil
• 500ml chicken stock
• 100g golden curry
• salt

Puff Pastry:

• 250g strong plain flour
• 250g butter, diced at room temperature, not soft
• 1 tsp salt
• around 150ml cold water
• egg yolk
• black onion seeds

To serve:

• 1kg purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed
• 100g duck fat, melted
• salt

 Cooking Method

1. Sieve 250g strong plain flour and 1 tsp fine sea salt into a large bowl.
2. Roughly break 250g butter into small chunks, add them to the bowl and rub them in loosely. You need to see bits of butter.
3. Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of 150ml cold water,  mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed.
4. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 20 mins in the fridge.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle.
6. Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 20 x 50cm. Keep edges straight and even. Don’t overwork the butter streaks; you should have a marbled effect.
7. Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length.
8. Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling out to use.
9. When ready to roll out the pastry, roll it out to a £ coin thickness to fit your chosen vessel for your pie, alternatively, roll out to a £ coin thickness then cut out with a cutter & bake separately.
10. Light coals on a BBQ to a medium heat. Add the chicken & grill each side until cooked, 65ºC for around 6-8 minutes each side.
11. Slice the chicken into thick chunks, set aside.
12. Heat the chicken stock in a ProWare Saucepan until boiling then whisk in the golden curry paste whisking all the time & cook until thickened, around 10 minutes.
13. In a ProWare Sauté pan, heat the oil then fry the onion & leek until translucent but soft, around 8 minutes, then add the chicken & pour over the curry sauce, stir & season with salt, keep warm.
14. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
15. Spoon the pie mixture into a vessel then top with the puff pastry, sealing the edges & glaze all over with the egg yolk.
16. Bake the pie for around 20-25 minutes, halfway through the cooking sprinkle the pastry with the black onion seeds.

To serve

1. Brush the broccoli with the melted duck fat then grill the broccoli over coals on a bbq, season with salt then serve alongside the pie.

‘This was a mad love child of a very British Chinese curry & a very British staple, we love it.’