Renowned South African food writer Tony Jackman recently shared his recipe for a delectable family-size chicken and mushroom pie on the Daily Maverick. The recipe, which serves 6 to 8 people, was inspired by Jackman's experience of enjoying a glorious chicken and mushroom pie from a corner café. He decided to recreate the dish at home and was kind enough to share his recipe with readers. Jackman's culinary expertise has earned him numerous accolades, including being a twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.
According to Jackman, the idea for the recipe struck him when he was hungry and stumbled upon a bakery on Bree Street. He purchased a chicken and mushroom pie, which he described as having a fabulous filling and crisp, golden pastry. However, when his wife, the Foodie's Wife, had a similar pie from a different source, she was less impressed. This sparked Jackman's determination to create a better pie at home. He used shop-bought shortcrust pastry and a combination of chicken breast fillets, portabellini mushrooms, white onion, garlic, and dry white wine to create the filling.
To prepare the chicken filling, Jackman advises making it ahead of time and allowing it to cool to room temperature. The ingredients required for the filling include 6 chicken breast fillets, olive oil, 200g portabellini mushrooms, 1 white onion, 3 garlic cloves, 200ml dry white wine, rosemary needles, 4 cloves, salt, and black pepper. The onions, garlic, and mushrooms are cooked in olive oil before being combined with the wine, rosemary, and cloves. The mixture is then seasoned with salt and black pepper.
Once the filling is prepared, Jackman combines it with diced chicken breast fillets that have been cooked in a frying pan. The mixture is then placed in a large pie dish, which is lined with shortcrust pastry. A pastry lid is created to cover the dish, and the edges are crimped to seal the pie. A hole is cut in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape during baking.
To bake the pie, Jackman preheats his oven to 180°C and places the pie inside for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. The pie is brushed with an egg wash before baking to give it a golden glaze. According to Jackman, the Foodie's Wife declared his pie to be much better than her breakfast pie.
Jackman's recipe for the family-size chicken and mushroom pie has been well-received by readers. His book, Retro Karoo Food, is available for purchase through the Daily Maverick shop or by sending an email to him at [email protected]. Readers can also follow Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks for more culinary inspiration.
With his recipe, Jackman aims to share a delicious and satisfying meal with his readers. The family-size chicken and mushroom pie is perfect for special occasions or a cozy night in with family and friends. By following Jackman's simple and easy-to-follow recipe, readers can create a mouth-watering pie that is sure to impress.
Key points
- Tony Jackman's recipe for a family-size chicken and mushroom pie serves 6 to 8 people and can be found on the Daily Maverick website.
- The recipe was inspired by Jackman's experience of enjoying a glorious chicken and mushroom pie from a corner café.
- Jackman's culinary expertise has earned him numerous accolades, including being a twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.
