Chicken, ham and potatoes pie

This recipe is good for 4 to 6 persons.

Ingredients :

400-500 grams of skinless chicken thigh fillets
200-300 grams of smoked ham
1 large onion
1 small pack of mixed frozen vegetables (carrot, corn, peas)
1 cup of cream
1/4 c. of butter
salt and pepper

For the mashed potatoes :

(Note : You will need about 5 cups of mashed potatoes to assemble the pie)

3/4 kilo of potatoes or 2-1/4 c. of potato flakes
1/4 c. of butter
3/4 c. (or more) of full cream milk
salt and pepper
1/4 c. of grated parmesan cheese

Cooking procedure :

Prepare the mashed potatoes.

If using fresh potatoes :

Wash the potatoes and scrub well. Place in a large pan and cover with water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. To test, pierce the thickest part with a sharp knife. If the knife goes all the way through without resistance, the potatoes are done.

Drain the potatoes. As soon as they can be handled, peel off the skins and mash. Mix in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the milk slowly, stirring all the time to incorporate the milk into the mixture. Your mashed potato should not be too soft. When you reach the right consistency, stir in the parmesan. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary.

If using potato flakes :

Boil about 3 c. of water. Pour the hot water into a glass bowl and melt the butter in it. Add some salt and pepper. Pour in the potato flakes. Stir with a fork just until moistened. Let stand for 30 seconds to allow the flakes to rehydrate. Pour in the milk, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the parmesan. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

(Note : Commercial potato flakes vary in their capacity to absorb liquid. Some do not expand well; others need plenty of water.)

Set aside the mashed potatoes and allow to cool while you prepare the filling.

Cut the chicken into 2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the ham in roughly the same size. Roughly chop the onion.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add the smoked ham and chopped onion. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion bits start to turn brown. Add the mixed vegetable. Stir well.

Pour in the cream and stir to blend. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Lower the heat and cook until the liquid is bubbly.

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to an 8-inch ovenproof dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top. Grill or broil (top heat on) in a preheated 180^oC oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

A little tip: If your dish is as full as mine (see the photo on the previous page), place a large piece of foil, cookie sheet or large baking tray under it before putting it in the oven. The sauce of the chicken mixture will boil and it will seep through the mashed potatoes along the edges of the oven dish. You don’t want the sauce dripping all over the oven floor. I spent 30 minutes cleaning up because I forgot about the aluminum foil.

When the top is lightly browned, turn off the heat and take the pie out of the oven. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Otherwise, the mashed potatoes will still be too mushy and the sauce of the filling too runny.

To serve, use a large spoon to dig into the pie so that one scoop will have mashed potatoes, chicken, ham and vegetables. The chicken, ham and potatoes pie goes very well with buttered and toasted French bread.

[tags]chicken+recipe, farmers+pie, shepherds+pie, recipe, food, cooking, food+blog, cooking+blog[/tags]

In the mood for more food?

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2. Porkless summer?
3. Wonton soup
4. Chicken pie with butter crust
5. A side dish: buttered corn and carrots
6. Beef asado noodle soup
7. Tokwa’t baboy as a stew
8. Siopao (steamed dumplings)
9. Chocolate and almond cookie squares
10. Chicken salad sandwich and cheese sticks

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