Chicken Balti Pies© (makes 12)

Ingredients

Marinade
  • 8 tablespoons Balti Paste
Pie Filling / Sauce
  • 1kg-35.2oz Chicken Thighs (On the Bone)
  • 2 Shallots (Finely Diced)
  • 3 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)
  • 2 Red Chillies (Finely Chopped)
  • 3 tablespoons Hot Curry Powder
  • 2.4oz-70g unsalted butter
  • 2 Chicken Stock Pots
  • 3 tablespoons Self-Raising Flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger (grated)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
  • 23.6 fl oz--700ml boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander
  • 1 tablespoon Balti Curry Paste
Pastry
  • 17.6oz -500g plain flour (sifted)
  • 8.8oz-250g lard (cold & cubed)
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 7 tablespoons cold water
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg yolk whisked with a little egg white (pastry egg wash)

Method

  1. Day 1=
  2. First marinade the chicken thighs, slather the curry paste all over, wrap in tinfoil, and pop in the fridge overnight
  3. Next, prepare the pastry. Place the flour, lard, salt, pepper and curry powder in a large mixing bowl and rub together with fingertips so it looks like a fine crumble. Take your time to do this properly. Add the water and combine it well. Knead lightly. Form into a smooth ball and wrap in clingfilm. Pop into the fridge overnight
  4. Day 2=
  5. Pre-heat oven to 392˚f/200˚c regular oven or 356˚f /180˚c fan assisted oven. Place the chicken without tinfoil into a roasting tray and roast for 40mins. Insert knife and check the juices run clear. Turn oven off and set to one side to cool
  6. Remove all the meat from the bones (discard the skin) and leave on a plate to cool further. Remember to reserve the meat juices produced from cooking in a separate jug
  7. To make the sauce for the filling in a large saucepan fry the shallots and garlic in butter until soft over a medium/low heat for 5 mins. Add the chillies, flour, garam masala, curry powder, curry paste, ginger and ground cumin and mix quickly into a paste.
  8. And the reserved meat juices, chicken stock posts and boiling water and stir. Bring to a boil and then set on a low setting for 10 minutes.
  9. Add the chicken meat and coriander then cover with a lid. Cook for 1 hour. Frequently check on it and stir it. After 1 hour, season it and cook further if it needs to reduce a little more
  10. When ready to assemble the pies, cut the pastry ball in a 60/40 ratio
  11. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan and pre-heat oven with an oven tray inside to 392˚f/200˚c regular oven or 356˚f /180˚c fan assisted oven
  12. Lightly flour the surface and roll the larger amount out and cut out large circles (An upside down pint glass can make a useful cutter) and roll out each individual circle until it is a bit larger and thinner. Case the holes with it, leaving enough pastry around the top to help seal the pasty lids later.
  13. Fill the pasty cases with the chicken mixture
  14. Repeat the pastry process with the remaining process but cut with a slightly smaller cutter (a normal sized glass can help if no cutters to hand) and pinch the lids together with the case tops to fully seal the pie
  15. Use a sharp knife to score each pie with three little lines.
  16. Whisk the egg yolk (and a little white). Brush the top of each pie with the mixture.
  17. Pop in the oven for 35 mins. Remove pies from the tin and place onto a baking tray to bake for another 5/10 mins to let the sides brown.
  18. Can be eaten hot or cold

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