Cape Malay Chicken and mushroom pie (hoender pastei)

Chicken and Mushroom pie is my ideal comfort food and the perfect meal served with steamed vegetables or mixed leafy salad. This chicken pie recipe can be made with puff pastry or this easy 3 ingredient Hot Water Flaky Butter pastry.

If you are in the mood for a beef pie then this Cape Malay Pepper steak pie is the one for you.

My mother, may ALLAH have mercy on her soul and grant her the highest paradise, was a consummate pie maker.

She made the best chicken pie recipe and loved having the large pies on our Eid day buffet, when we normally hosted a lunch or dinner for all the relatives. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of huge pots simmering with whole chickens, vegetables, herbs and spices in preparation for a marathon chicken pie making session during Ramadhan.

Alas, that is another thing I didn’t take note of very closely and have no idea exactly what she added to her chicken pie filling with sago and puff pastry. I recall tender cooked chicken, caramelised onion, soaked sago pearls and seasoning. One day my mother threw us all for a loop and developed something completely different;  her own creamy chicken pie recipe. I loved that and tried to replicate it as closely as I could from memory.

Top tips for a creamy chicken and mushroom pie recipe

• My chicken and mushroom pie has a pastry base as well as lid. I par-bake the pastry base to ensure that it stays crispy and then add the cooled cooked chicken pie filling before closing it with the pastry lid, and baking again.
• For extra nutritional value, especially during Ramadhan, I add sweet corn, peas and carrots.
• I prefer the tang of creme fraiche and used this instead of double or fresh cream.
• The pie filling may be made a day before and kept refrigerated until required. Do not put hot filling into the uncooked or par-baked pie shell as it will make it soggy and unpalatable to eat.
• The filling may be frozen for up to three months before use.
• You may use homemade stock, cubes or concentrate, whichever is more convenient to make up the 500 ml liquid required.

What to serve with Cape Malay Chicken and mushroom pie

In Cape Malay homes a meal of Chicken and Mushroom pie is carbo loaded comfort food and we serve it with rice, mashed potato or vegetables.

• Spiced sweet yellow rice
• Mashed potato
• Mixed seasonal salad
• Roasted vegetables

For more Cape Malay recipes please check the links below.

• Cape Malay Pickled Fish
• Cape Malay Pepper Steak pie
• Cape Malay Sugar Bean bredie
• Cape Malay Pancakes with coconut or berries
• Daltjies spinach and corn fritters
• Boeber
• Cape Malay Potato pudding
• Falooda milkshake

Chicken and mushroom pie

Razena Schroeder

Chicken, mushroom and mixed vegetables in a creamy sauce between layers of flaky puff pastry.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Main Courses

Cuisine Cape Malay

Servings 4

Calories 1987 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 415 grams roasted chicken meat approximately 1 rotiserrie chicken
• 50 grams butter divided
• 2 onions grated or finely chopped (approximately 190 grams)
• 30 grams finely chopped celery approximately 1 large stalk
• 2 cloves garlic
• 50 grams plain flour
• 250 grams baby button mushrooms
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 250 ml creme fraiche or fresh cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 sheets ready rolled butter puff pastry approximately 225 grams each
• 1 egg

Instructions

 

• Debone the chicken, removing the skin and bones and shred chicken or cut into cubes.
• In a high sided sauté pan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions and celery until soft (this should take 15 minutes).
• Add the garlic and sauté another minute to remove the raw taste.
• Add the flour and cook out for at least 5 minutes on a medium heat.
• Add the mushrooms and fry for another 3 minutes.
• Slowly add the stock and stir continually to ensure there are no lumps and the mixture starts to bubble and thicken.
• Let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked.
• Add the frozen corn, carrots and peas and allow to come to a boil while stirring all the time.
• Add the creme fraiche, string continually and bring to the boil before adding the chicken.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir continually while it simmers and thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Adjust the seasoning and remove from the stove to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius/ 180 celcius with fan / 400 F / Gas mark 6.
• Roll out the pastry and line two 20 cm pie dishes ensuring that the pastry overlaps the sides a bit as it may shrink during baking if not rested enough. I chilled it again for another 10 minutes before baking.
• Line the base with parchment paper and baking beans or beans, and bake blind for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, then leave to cool.
• Fill the cooled pastry case with the chicken filling and cover with the second sheet of puff pastry.
• Trim the edges and make two slits at the top to allow steam to escape.
• Brush with beaten egg then bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
• If you find the pastry browning too much but it is still not completely cooked then cover the brown edges with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

Notes

• The recipe will be enough for two round 20 cm pies, although I made one deep 20 cm pie and two smaller rectangular pies, one of 12 cm and one of 16 cm in length.

Nutrition

Calories: 1987kcalCarbohydrates: 147gProtein: 49gFat: 134gSaturated Fat: 42gCholesterol: 181mgSodium: 1057mgPotassium: 1081mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4265IUVitamin C: 15.4mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 9.4mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.

Keyword easy baking, halaal recipes, winter recipe

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This Chicken and Mushroom pie recipe was originally refined and published for my guest post on the Kitchen Flavours website, for their eighth annual global Ramadhan round-up in 2015 called Joy from Fasting to Feasting.

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