What's for tea? Chicken and mushroom pie with tarragon and thyme

Bobbi · 24 August 2023 15:21

@Matthew1798
I totally agree, something gentle, absorbing and distracting gives you that space to begin sorting out your feelings.
At the end you get something you can share and enjoy. Nowt wrong with that.

EmeraldEyes · 24 August 2023 16:51

I don’t know if you’ve already looked but Bobbi has already posted a number of his culinary delights under the General category…maybe we should have a Culinary Delights sub category perhaps .
Here are a few of my favourites…particularly the Rhubarb custard Meringue Pie

Matthew1798 · 24 August 2023 16:56

Rhubarb Custard Meringue Pie. That sounds delicious. I have to find out about that.

EmeraldEyes · 24 August 2023 16:58

It’s in the first one on that list for the obvious reasons it’s my favourite

Bobbi · 24 August 2023 17:44

Just in case anyone is wondering the Chicken and Leek Pie Saga is also hiding instructions for making the rhubarb one, but you do need proper rhubarb, tinned just isn’t right Sometimes you can get it at a good price but it can be expensive.
We snap it up when the price is right.
It is a very special thing not too difficult to make and extremely morish. Addiction is guaranteed.
Thank you @EmeraldEyes what a useful list.

EmeraldEyes · 24 August 2023 17:53

Those were just the more recent ones I’ve saved and have or will be attempting.
I suspect you have more posted in older posts I’ve not seen

There are millions of recipes all over the internet but these days I just tend to try those others have made these days.

Bobbi · 24 August 2023 21:04

@EmeraldEyes
If it is any use I’ve been posting since May 2022 I think.
I search for recipes too. Unfortunately many are disappointments.
There are many copy and paste examples with no testing, I suspect. I only post those I have successfully made.

EmeraldEyes · 24 August 2023 21:43

And that’s why I only go by peoples recommendations these days

Bobbi · 25 August 2023 09:08

As an indulgence here’s that recipe, and a link too, that really does work:

SHORT CRUST PASTRY

INGREDIENTS
160g plain flour [maybe increase to 180g + 90g fat]
40g butter, diced [20g]
40g lard [or 30g trex] [60g cheap spread]
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp cold water [For simple shortcrust you will need about 1½ tablespoons per 100g ]

METHOD
Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough. [takes time to hydrate flour]
Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface.
nope [Now place the pastry in a polythene bag and leave it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest.]
Line a tart tin, place it in the [fridge] freezer for an hour.
Blind bake from [fridge] frozen at 180°C. [after 15 mins remove beans then further 5 mins]

RHUBARB CUSTARD MERINGUE PIE

INGREDIENTS
1 9″ pie crust, pre-baked
360g rhubarb (you can substitute 120g of this for strawberries if you’d like)
128g sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
170g evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks, beaten

(Save the 3 egg whites for the meringue.
Set them on the counter at least 30 min prior to using them.)
6 tbsp sugar (for the meringue)

METHOD
Clean and chop the rhubarb into small pieces and pour into the prepared pie crust.
Mix the sugar, flour, salt, evaporated milk, vanilla and egg yolks together and pour over the rhubarb.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C, then lower the temperature to 160°C until the custard is set (test with a knife). [20-30mins]

While the pie is baking, prepare the meringue.
In a glass bowl, mix the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
Slowly add in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form.

Once the pie is done baking, immediately top with the meringue.
Make sure the meringue reaches and touches the edge of the crust.
Place the pie back in the oven and bake at 140°C until the top of the meringue is nice and brown.

Cool the pie completely before storing in the fridge.
It’s best served cold.

Bobbi · 25 August 2023 15:34

@SimonInEdinburgh
as a side issue, it is possible now to go back over old posts and set up tags where they were originally omitted.
I have been using kitchen and cooking recently to tag my food threads.

Maybe worth creating a set of instructions, suggestions and hints, Simon?

Bobbi · 25 August 2023 16:47

@SimonInEdinburgh
I’m sure you would make a good job of it.
Unfortunately, I must be very careful, my little knowledge is probably a dangerous thing.

One day I will make a wiki

Bobbi · 27 August 2023 21:40

This time it’s a Scotch pie, courtesy of a John Kirkwood recipe

and a memento from our wool anniversary

Matthew1798 · 28 August 2023 01:55

It looks beautiful. You are one talented cook/baker.

Your pie is ready for the cover of a magazine, Bobbi.

Take good care.

Bobbi · 28 August 2023 07:42

@Matthew1798

I’m just following the instructions, Matthew, it did come out looking good though. As far as taste is concerned I prefer the chicken pie which was at the start of this thread, The Chinese Curry was special too, we’ll be having both again.
As for the Rhubarb Pie it is in a league of its own. I make that anytime rhubarb is at a good price. Sometimes Aldi have it. It makes a scrumptious dish, that is for sure.

Mrs5K · 28 August 2023 11:45

@Bobbi the pie looks great. Hope you enjoyed eating it.

The sheep is very cute

EmeraldEyes · 28 August 2023 12:18

I take it that’s a chicken stock cube, think I’m going to try this one tomorrow

Bobbi · 28 August 2023 13:08

@EmeraldEyes

I think it is only television chefs go to great lengths over stock.

If it is the chicken curry, then I used a couple of stock cubes in boiling water.
(I have wondered about chucking all the skins, peelings and left over bits after prepping veg and boiling them up for a while, then using that as a veg stock for gravy, soup, or even a curry sauce, maybe one day)

Here’s a link to the recipe and video of Gok Wan’s curry, it’s worth a watch:
recipe and video

We will be making it again, it was nice, you won’t be disappointed.

Also Gok separates the onion, carrot etc. from the liquor. Being too tight to part I kept ours, blended it down with a tin of tomatoes and had a delicious curried tomato soup next day with some home made naan bred and garlic butter.

I don’t know, it could be good to start a recipe group, maybe with its own corner of the Forum so stuff would be easier to find. Maybe a lot of trouble though. I wanted to put recipes on my blog, but being front page they would need to be passed by dieticians, culinary experts and so on, I’ll just stick to the forum I get left alone, no I tell a lie, I get encouraged here.

EmeraldEyes · 28 August 2023 13:15

Definitely making that curry this week, thanks for the link. That’s a few more items to add to tomorrows shopping list

EmeraldEyes · 28 August 2023 13:24

You never said how much chicken stock is needed for the chicken & mushroom pie or do you just break up a stock cube into the mix. I do that with a lot of things like stroganoff when I want to use wine in it.

Bobbi · 28 August 2023 13:40

I’ll check the quantities and post here later.

The hot water crust pastry video is worth a watch:
hot water crust pastry video
I use it for all my pies, it works well, as you see from the pictures.

This is what the 8" enamel pie dish off Amazon I’m using looks like, it is quite deep and holds a lot:

Well I promised a list of quantities, it looks like at 5.00 am I didn’t note the amounts and did it by eye. So I’ll try to walk you through what I remember.

I added flour sprinkling over and stirring until mushroom and chicken all had a coating.
The stock cube was crushed and sprinkled into the mix followed by Tarragon, Thyme, Worcester sauce and Soy sauce, salt and pepper, stirring all to combine.
Keeping the whole thing on the heat slowly stir in liquid (water or milk or cream depending how rich you want the sauce) to thicken, again quantity depends on how much sauce you want in your chicken mushroom mix. Sort of not too sloppy, but not dry either. When you are happy with your filling it is ready for the pie.
I usually note all this when I cook, sorry not to be more precise.

@EmeraldEyes
I hope you’ll let me know how it went, maybe a picture. Bon appetit !!