Kataifi Chicken Pies

Cook Time 2 hours

Servings 6

Ingredients

½ a large cooked chicken, meat shredded

200g kataifi pastry, brought to room temperature

100g butter, melted

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 sage leaves, leaves picked and chopped

200g speck, diced into 1cm pieces (or bacon)

300g button mushrooms, quartered

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 ½ cup of chicken stock

80ml pouring cream

½ tsp nutmeg

Salt & pepper

Method

Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the onion, speck, garlic, sage and sauté for 3–4 minutes to soften and lightly caramelise. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly. Add flour and cook off for a minute then add the mustard, stock, salt and pepper and nutmeg. Bring to the boil to thicken and then add the cream. Simmer for a further minute or until thick and glossy. Add the chicken and fold through, take off heat and allow to cool. This mixture can be done a day or two ahead of time.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a 6-hole Texas muffin tin (3/4 cup capacity) with a little of the butter.

To prepare the kataifi, tease the threads of pastry and loosen and place in a bowl. Drizzle over remaining butter and use your hands to coat each strand with the butter. Portion the kataifi into twelve bundles, make 6 slightly larger in quantity for the bases. Line the muffin tin with the 6 larger bundles, teasing and firmly pressing the pastry up the sides to form a cup shape. Fill each kataifi cup with the chicken mixture and then top with the remaining kataifi and another brush of melted butter.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.