Baking | Chicken, Mushroom & Roasted Pepper Julienne … where French cuisine deliciously meets Russian Cuisine in India!
Yes, I was back at a delicious food blog, The Mansurov’s, a favourite, but lack of time the past 2 months has kept me away from most of my faves. I have no idea what happened to time, but can’t believe that it’s December already! Hello? Still so much to do before the year goes by, bookmarked posts to try, breads to bake, cookies to make, fruit to soak for the cake, drafts to finalise … time to hit the panic button! If 11 months flew by so fast, then the rest of 2010 will be gone in a heartbeat!
I’ve always wanted to bake a chicken pie at home, ever since we had some at Harry’s in Sydney way back in November 2008. Harry’s pies were served with peas and mash, and probably had gravy too. It’s been on my list to make forever, but I’ve never found a recipe that appealed to me a 100%. I had a vision in my mind … it would have a yummy ‘chicken with veggies’ interior, held together by a luxurious creamy sauce, with this puff pastry top etc. I repeatedly ‘chickened’ out each time, and my home made puff pastry found other use.
This time as well was the same, well almost. Push came to shove, and we had folk for dinner. I sorted out almost sorted out the menu, but couldn’t get the right main course. Browsing the net, I saw this at Lola’s and I just knew it had to be the one. Her opening lines were as delicious as the dish itself. Just the fact that this is where French cuisine met Russian had me virtually eating the julienne right off her blog. Seriously, something strangely beautiful happens to the flavours of the sauce when you roast the flour before you add the butter. I think Lola mentioned clarified butter somewhere in her conversation. Will try that the next time… mmm!
It’s become a favourite in our house already. I’ve made it twice in the last 2 weeks. Am contemplating making a vegetarian version of the julienne, maybe using broccoli, mushrooms, roasted bell peppers and cauliflower. The sauce is creamy and comforting. Once it bakes with the chicken and mushrooms, and stands for a short while, it takes all the ingredients into a ‘warm embrace‘ of sorts. YES, it’s quite the dreamy chicken pie I’ve been waiting for!
Changes? Yes, but just a few and more for want of substitution. No full fat cream available here, so I went with low fat cream. Added milk to thin the sauce out as mine was very thick the first time around. I added a grating of Gruyère, chopped garlic greens and roasted bell peppers too. The second time around, I sautéed chicken and mushroom in a huge wok and mixed the warm white sauce through. I then ladled them out into the ramekins. I found it easier to work this way as I was making the dish for a crowd. It’s a great make ahead main course dish, and nice for the hoilday season. You can set up the individual ramekins, or one large serving. Top with mozzarella at this time, {or even later}, cover it with foil and refrigerate it. Before serving, heat in the oven covered for about 15 minutes, and then grill for about 10 minutes on high until the cheese is bubbly and golden on the edges. Don’t skip the mozzarella and the pinch of cayenne … it does contribute beautifully to finishing the dish well!
Chicken, Mushroom & Roasted Pepper Julienne
Adapted from Mansoravs
Makes 12-14 small ramekins
Prep: 45 mins | Bake: 20 mins | Oven: 180C
Ingredients:
6 small breasts of chicken, cooked, chopped
200gms button mushrooms, sliced fine
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped fine
4-5 stalks garlic greens, chopped fine
3 roasted bell peppers, red & yellow, chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp flour
50gm butter
200ml low fat cream {I use Amul 25% fat cream}
50gm Gruyère, grated {or cheddar}
1 1/4- 1 1/2 cup milk {as required}
200gms shredded mozzarella {I use Himalayan Buffalo Mozzarella}
Paprika
Method:
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large wok. Sauté the chopped onions, garlic and garlic greens until fragrant, and the onions begin to colour a bit. Add the chopped chicken and mushrooms, and stir fry on high heat till the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt & pepper, and red chili flakes if you like. Take off heat, stir in the roasted peppers, cover and keep warm.
Now make the white sauce.
In a dry heavy saucepan, gently roast the flour on very low heat till light brown and fragrant. Add the butter and stir through well. Almost immediately begin to pour the cream in, whisking with a balloon whisk constantly to avoid lumps getting formed. Follow the cream with about 3/4 cup of milk, keep stirring and adding more milk as required. The sauce should be thick, and will continue to thicken as it cools. Grate in some Gruyère or cheddar, a grating of nutmeg if you like, season with salt and once the cheese has melted through, mix it into the warm reserved chicken, mushroom, bell pepper.
Divide this equally into 12-13 ramekins, or turn into one big baking dish, top with mozzarella, a pinch of cayenne and bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to turn a little golden. Stand for about 10 minutes, and serve hot.
Serving suggestions: Char-grilled broccoli salad, potato-mushroom croquettes, and a rustic garlic bread.
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Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
46 Comments
Anh
yum! can I come over for dinner now?
ARTHI
Pictures are so gorgeous Dee…love them!
Happy Cook
I love pies like this and I liek you additiong of capsicul and green onons.
Creamy and delicious.
Kulsum at JourneyKitchen
Such a beautiful dish Dee. I can imagine the flavors and feel hungry! Oh and garlic greens, I have been carving it forever, love it over anything 🙂
Trissa
Yes I love The Mansourovs Blog – they take fantastic pictures! Thanks for sharing the recipe – I may have missed it as well on their blog – but certainly glad to see it here!
Sanjeeta kk
Love the pies baked in those Ramekins. Must be very flavorful pie, Deeba, with garlic greens in it. I have all the three colors of bell pepper sitting in my refrigerator and am going to bake the same way. Probably substitute the chicken with…..mushrooms or soya granules.
Jessica @ How Sweet
Love that you can make this ahead of time. It sounds perfect!
sameena
Hi Deepa,
That looks absolutely delightfuld ear…beautiful clicks as usual…:)
Dr.Sameena@
http://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com
Monique
Have I told you lately that I love your photos:)?
Gloria
This look delicious and amazing!! xoxoxo gloria
Gloria
I love french cusiene! xx gloria
Rosa
A scrumptious dish! Very comfoting.
Cheers,
Rosa
bellini
For years chicken pot pie was my choice when I went to a restaurant with my family. I see that is has made a comeback and I happy to say I am enjoying it once again. You have inspired me to try it at home.
My Little Expat Kitchen
This dish looks so good and so comforting Deeba and it would be perfect to include in a holiday spread as well!
Magda
pavithra
Beautiful beautiful beautiful deeba.. as always the pictures are cooling my eyes. Truly delicious comforting dish… Yummy 🙂
the urban baker
i adore visiting you, seeing what you are up to in the kitchen and gazing at your photography. this dish is mouth watering!
Jaime
wow those pictures are gorgeous! want to bring me some for dinner next time? 🙂 yum.
Kiran
This looks so yummy! I want some 🙂
Barbara @ VinoLuciStyle
Always love to see something that you’ll do other than one of your gorgeous cakes and this looks and sounds fantastic. Though I admit…expected your title to end with…’in India!’
Tanvi@Sinfully Spicy
First of all- thanks for introducing me to a new [kind off] chicken pie recipe.Everytime I come here, I leave learning something..thats the best part of your space.You cant go wrong with chicken and mushrooms ..no wonder you have made this twice. Your little pots look irrestible!
My mom also keeps on crying everytime I call her that there is no good cream available in Delhi..so I know what you mean.
Ananda Rajashekar
Heavenly it is. Gorgeous pictures as always and what great quote to start with!
Heavenly Housewife
What an elegant dish! This would be a great thing to serve to guests.
*kisses* HH
Amanda
Ooh, with so many sweets going around right now, this sure looks appealing. Thanks!
Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog
This post is really a meeting cuisine! French and Russian sound marvelous.
Gorgeous chicken dish Deeba!
Cheers,
Gera
Krista
How creamy and savory and WONDERFUL this dish is! No wonder it’s a family favorite. 🙂
Anna Johnston
Fusion cooking…., when it works its heaven I agree. I’ve also been on the hunt for a dreamy chicken pie like this…, years ago I ‘experienced’ (it was too good to just say I ate) a wonderful chicken pie like your describing and I tried to recreate it and it wasn’t quite right and never gone back to try again…, I’m going to cook this amazing recipe, love the idea of putting them in little ramekins. This one is a keeper, love it.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Now this is good fusion indeed Deeba! 😀 What a mouth watering meal-lucky I have food on the way soon or I would be giving you puppy dog eyes 😛
Cherine
This should taste really really good!!
nancy at good food matters
Lovely recipe—it looks especially good in the individual ramekins—so nice for a dinner party!
thank you Deeba!
Irina@PastryPal
Anything with gruyere is a friend of mine 🙂
lisaiscooking
This looks like comfort food at its best! The sauce sounds delicious, and the vegetarian version you mention sounds fantastic too.
Ann
i’m just sitting here envying your guests! looks comforting, warm and delicious, perfect for the icy cold weather here.
tasteofbeirut
A lovely, dainty elegant and altogether ravishing little beauty; in that ramekin, it says “eat me with a silver fork and swoon”.
David
Deeba – this looks wonderful and just in time for several nights of entertaining. And ditto to all the above comments! David
David
Deeba – this looks wonderful and just in time for several nights of entertaining in a row. And ditto to all the above comments! David
rebecca
wow great dish and got to love food blogs for inspiring us to try new dishes
Jamie
Sweetheart, I love just love creamy comforting chicken dishes like this and make them every winter: blanquette and chicken and dumplings. Now I must try this. I love it in inidividual ramekins but, honey, I’d need to eat about 6 or 8 of them to get my fill. Gorgeous version, creamy, warm and rich. Stunning pics as well. And I miss you! Time flies, family and activities get in the way and you and I need a good, long chat!
shaz
That sounds delightfully delicious dear Deeba! I’ve hit the panic button repeatedly but nothing seems to happen. Maybe it’s broken? Sigh, time really is going too quickly for me too.
Hopefully I’ll get some time to try this chicken pie soon, maybe in 2011.
Mia
Hey budds , howdya do?
Deeba , ur amazing , and this an interesting food fusion!
if that aint enough , this deliciousness is having me all hungry now:-)
Aint suprised its already a fav at home , its mine too!
Ur kitchen looks good and i love that rustic table u shoot with!
The veggie version would do great with the clarified butter and maybe an Indian fusion,lol:-)
Have a very wonderful weekend!
Barbara
Beautiful, Deeba! Comfort food at its finest! Wish I had some of these in the freezer right now. Might be a great idea to make some this weekend!
It’s so busy for everyone right now. I think December creeped up on us way too fast!
indrani
Hello Mrs. Deeba,
Hope you are doing well. I want to try out this recipe tonight. I hope you can provide a few clarifications on the following:
(i) How many grams of chicken is it roughly?
(ii) How to cook chicken? (should water be added and if so how much and should salt be added and for how long the chicken should be cooked)
(iii) When should the mushrooms be added? (It was mentioned in the recipe to be added twice-once with the onions and once with the chicken.)
Thanking you in advance for the clarifications.
Good Day,
Indrani.
Deeba @ PAB
Hi Indrani,
Thanks for your sweet words. Please do feel free to call me Deeba.
Re your questions…
1. Each chicken breast weighs roughly between 100-150gms.I think that should be roughly 600gms of boneless chicken
2. This was the first time I cooked chicken like this, but found it very effective. Bring a large pot of water to boil with a few bay leaves, some smashed garlic cloves, salt, a cube of chicken stock. Let the whole breasts boil in this liquid until they change colour and are no longer pink when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes on a rolling boil. Drain, chop up, and keep warm
3. The mushrooms can be added with the chicken. Sorry about the error. I have updated the recipe in the post.
Good luck to you!
indrani
Dear Mrs. Deeba,
Just wanted to let you know that today will be the third time that i will be making this wonderful and heavenly dish. Thank you so much for having provided the clarifications and also thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Wishing you a great year ahead.
Warm Regards,
Indrani.