Greek-style chicken pie with tahini sauce

Name: Greek-style chicken pie with tahini sauce
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 as a main or 8 as an entree
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 500g (3 cups) chopped cooked chicken meat; 2 tsp dried oregano; about 125ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil; 2 brown onions, chopped; 135g (⅔ cup) basmati rice; 40g (¼ cup) currants, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained; 40g (¼ cup) pine nuts, toasted; 1 bunch silverbeet, stems trimmed, leaves washed and chopped; 150g fresh firm ricotta, drained; 8 sheets filo pastry

October 6, 2020

Tahini sauce lifts this Greek=style chicken pie.Murdoch Books

Time:2 hours +Serves:4 as a main or 8 as an entree

This pie goes a long way and can be served as an entree or a main course with salad. It is based on a traditional Greek-style pie, but with a new look and tangy sauce to give it a lift.

Ingredients

500g (3 cups) chopped cooked chicken meat
2 tsp dried oregano
about 125ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, chopped
135g (⅔ cup) basmati rice
40g (¼ cup) currants, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained
40g (¼ cup) pine nuts, toasted
1 bunch silverbeet, stems trimmed, leaves washed and chopped
150g fresh firm ricotta, drained
8 sheets filo pastry

Tahini sauce

65g (¼ cup) tahini
2 tbsp water
70g (¼ cup) plain yoghurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sumac
½ tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Step 1
To make the tahini sauce, process all the ingredients in a small food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
Step 2
Toss the chicken with the oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan over low heat and cook the onions, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until soft. Cook the rice in a saucepan of simmering salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Combine the onion, rice, currants and pine nuts and season to taste.
Step 4
Cook the silverbeet (still wet from being washed) in a wok over medium heat, stirring occasionally until wilted. Drain, rinse under cold water and then use your hands to squeeze out excess moisture. Combine the silverbeet and ricotta in a bowl and season to taste.
Step 5
Use a pastry brush to brush a 5cm deep, 20cm diameter round straight-sided tin with a little of the remaining oil. Keeping the filo pastry under a clean tea towel to prevent it drying out, layer 6 filo sheets around the dish, brushing oil between each and overlapping the sheets to fit the dish and allowing about 10 cm (4 inches) of pastry to overhang the edge.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 180C. Spoon half the rice mixture over the pastry. Top with the silverbeet and ricotta mixture, the chicken mixture and the remaining rice mixture. Fold the overhanging pastry over the top of the pie and brush with oil. Fold the remaining 2 sheets of pastry together, brush with oil and scrunch over the pie to create some height, then brush with the remaining oil.
Step 7
Place the pie on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the pie is heated through. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Use a serrated knife to cut wedges of pie and serve with the tahini sauce.