MBE v tigs78 chicken and leek pie challenge

tigs78

Right, back to business...

Thanks to JM for the excellent pastry instructions. The pie filling section was much appreciated too but I think it's a little bit advanced doing the whole chicken thing with all the juices so...

If I do a chicken breast (and leeks and bacon) filling am I right in thinking that I just need a basic white sauce? The one I got taught to make is suitable for a lasagne topping (thick version) or cauliflower cheese. Is this the right sauce type for this pie?

Murtle

if you are using beans to blind bake with - my advice....don't turn pie case upside down to get them out....it is likely to fall apart.....

yes that's what OH did last night...luckily there was more pastry and I was called into rectify problem!!!

pie was yummy though, I had feta cheese and asparagus and he had mince and onion!!!

next will be chicken and leek - when I'm better, as it took him a while to make them, the filling was already made it was only the pastry....


good luck
x

Penelope_Penguin

Murtle wrote:

if you are using beans to blind bake with - my advice....don't turn pie case upside down to get them out....it is likely to fall apart.....

Hi, I'm loving this thread. I'm free on Thursday, so will be watching closely, and sticking my oar in as necessary!

Don't think anyone else has suggested this, but when I'm baking blind, I put a sheet of greaseproof paper between the pastry and beans. This way, they don't stick to the pastry, are easily removed, and you can use gravel, if that's all you have :eek: :eek:

Penny. x

Murtle

PP - i will pass that advise on to OH - it was a sorry mess and if I hadn't been trying not to laugh would have snuk the camera in to take a picture of it all lying on top of the bin

jobbingmusician

mrbadexample wrote:

I'm not arty-farty. I can't taste things and go "Oo, that needs a pinch of salt / pepper / whatever". I'm a scientist - I need exact quantities and instructions. If a recipe says it needs 37 grains of salt, that's what it'll get. :rolleyes: That's why I struggle with cooking - no artistic flair

OK, you've got all the quantities you need, I think, except for the amount of liquid needed for the sauce. This is the difficult one, as different flours will thicken at different rates at different times of the year (honest! :rolleyes: ). You need to decide in advance how thick you want the sauce to be. Then add liquid and boil and stir until the sauce is this thick.

One quasi-scientific way to do it (I'm making this up as I go along, does it show? ) would be to identify something else that's about the same thickness you are aiming for. Could be something like mustard (from a pot), brown sauce (blokes normally have some of this around). Don't use anything with a very high sugar content, like jam, as it will be too sticky. Remember the sauce doesn't have to be THAT thick as it's going to have chicken and stuff in it. Once you've decided on something of the right thickness, put a dob on a saucer. Then you can put a dob of your thickened sauce beside it, shake the saucer around a bit, and see if your sauce looks about right. Just remember - you can always make the sauce thinner, but making it thicker is a more advanced cooking technique!

I think that's pretty good, for a made up bloke technique, but someone out there might have a better idea....:p

tigs78 wrote:

If I do a chicken breast (and leeks and bacon) filling am I right in thinking that I just need a basic white sauce? The one I got taught to make is suitable for a lasagne topping (thick version) or cauliflower cheese. Is this the right sauce type for this pie?

Yes, it's a basic white sauce. But it will make it tastier if you fry off the bacon and leeks and add the flour to that, rather than just starting with flour in your pan.

About the blind baking - all these horror stories (thanks for the good laugh, Murtle!) are bringing me round to the greasproof paper/flour technique even more!

mrbadexample

jobbingmusician wrote:

This is the difficult one, as different flours will thicken at different rates at different times of the year (honest! :rolleyes: ).

What chance has a bloke got? :rolleyes:

jobbingmusician wrote:

One quasi-scientific way to do it (I'm making this up as I go along, does it show? ) would be to identify something else that's about the same thickness you are aiming for.

Well, something about the same thickness as cauliflower cheese sauce, I think. I can do that. I thought that was a roux sauce? Or is that what it's called when it's got cheese in? :whistle:

So, if I start out the same as for the CC, fry bacon & onion, add flour, then milk until it goes "sort of gloopy" , then add the pre-fried chicken and leeks to the sauce? Just leave the cheese out (although one of the recipes has cheese in the sauce, I noticed, but I don't think that's what I'm after)?

jobbingmusician wrote:

Yes, it's a basic white sauce. But it will make it tastier if you fry off the bacon and leeks and add the flour to that, rather than just starting with flour in your pan.

Ahhh...so should I completely substitute the onion for leeks? Obviously it'll be mainly leeks, but any of the onion family should work, right? I've got a few shallots too.....

I think I've got my head round the sauce. :idea: :j Be afraid tigs, be very afraid.

mrbadexample

I was kind of hoping to get the leeks to stay together in slices, not fall apart too much. Would it be better to add them to the sauce, or make the sauce with them in?

Rikki

Nobody called me.

Off to read thread from beginning just to see what advice you've had and to find out whose got the pop corn.

mrbadexample

Rikki wrote:

Nobody called me.

Off to read thread from beginning just to see what advice you've had and to find out whose got the pop corn.

Oops. Wondered where ya'd been. :rolleyes:

AB's got the popcorn. And don't worry, I haven't started without you.

Rikki

I'm looking forward to seeing the photos of each stage.:D

Piece of advice.....wash hands after making pastry before picking up camera to take picture.:rotfl: