Chicken Mushroom Pie topped with Caramalised Onion and Spinach

For me, pie is an excuse to make a gourmet sounding meal without making any serious effort. Especially if you can get ahold of a nice pie crust recipe, nothing comes together to give you as much satisfaction as biting into a pie. The flaky crusty top layer, the sweet or savory filling inside, and the layer of the moist bottom of the tart. It all comes together like a beautiful symphony with every instrument doing its job in harmony. I remember I tried making a Pie the first time some 8 years back after we got married. it was a Friday and I wanted to try something different. I wasn't sure if I will actually be able to make a flaky pastry. I looked up so many recipes and prayed real hard. And, I also told my husband to let me know when he was leaving office so that I can put the pie to bake. The oven alarm went off just a few minutes before he rang the doorbell. And when I peeped in to look inside the oven, I was already smiling. The husband instead of complimenting the taste of pie asked me, "did you go out during the day to buy the crust", he didn't really believe that such flaky ones can be made at home. Bummer !!

Now to make a pie, you need a pie crust. Just make sure to double the quantity, since the pie demands a top cover too.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust- 1 portion for 7.5 inch pie

Minced Chicken-200 gms

Mushroom- 2 cups diced

Spinach- 1 cup, roughly cut

Onions- 2 ( 1 diced, 1 sliced)

Garlic- 1 tbsp chopped

Fresh ground pepper- 1 tbsp

All-purpose flour- 2 tbsp

Milk- 1/2 cup (a little more if desired)

Salt- to taste

Oil- 2 tbsp

Egg- 1 for eggwash

Method:

Heat oil in a wok, fry the garlic and onion.

Add the minced chicken and fry for a few minutes, add salt and pepper.

When the chicken looks more than half done add the mushrooms and cook till both the chicken and mushroom come together and are well done. 

Now add two spoons of flour and mix it properly with the chicken and mushroom mix.

Add the milk and stir, you will get a nice saucy cheesy consistency. You can add little herbs or seasoning of your choice.

In a separate wok or pan, add a little oil and caramalise the onion. 

Once the onions look nicely caramelized, put in the spinach and cook till the water from the spinach evaporates.

Roll out the pie crust and put a layer at the bottom of the pie tin. 

Press it to the bottom and sides and bake at 150 degrees for 10 minutes.

Now put the chicken and mushroom layer on the bottom of the pie crust.

Top it with the onion and spinach layer.

Then roll out one more pie sheet and place it as a top layer.

Using a fork or a knife make small holes on the top of the pie.

Now take an egg, beat it and using a brush, do an egg wash (paint the pie with the egg, see pic below).

I also used some nigella seeds for flavour, but this is optional.

Bake at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.

Voila, happy eating.