Thai Chicken Pies

Makes 4

Ingredients

1/8 cup peanut or canola oil
½ to 1 tbs of Thai Green curry paste
1 ½ tsp of grated fresh ginger root
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/8 tsp ground chili powder
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 lemongrass stem, thinly sliced
1 baby eggplant, cut into cubes
3-4 boneless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup Coconut cream (or coconut milk)
1 baby bok choy, roughly chopped
¼ cup each of Thai basil & fresh coriander leaves
1 ½ tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbs water
2 sheets of puff pastry, each one cut into 4 equal squares
1 egg, beaten

 Method

Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat.  Stir fry the paste and ginger for 2 minutes or until fragrant.   Add the shallot, chili powder, lime leaf, lemon grass and eggplant and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove and reserve in a bowl.

Add a bit more oil to the wok, and add the chicken and stir for 3-4 minutes until browned.  Add the cooked eggplant and shallots.  Add the chicken stock and coconut milk/cream.  Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes till chicken is cooked. 

Strain and then return the liquid to the wok. Put the chicken mixture in a bowl.  Toss the strained ingredients with the chopped bok choy, fresh coriander and fresh basil in the bowl.  Return the wok to the stove on medium high and boil the liquid till it thickens (about 5 minutes).  Stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and mix with a whisk.  Remove from the heat and add the sauce to the chicken mixture.  Cool.

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). 

Roll the pastry out slightly to make it a little larger to fit the pie plates. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares.  Put a sheet of pastry in the pie plate. Fill it to the top with the chicken mixture. Put a little water on the edges of bottom pastry.  Add the top layer of pastry and pinch the edges to seal.  Trim any excess pastry.  Brush the top crust with the beaten egg.

Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.  Serve with sweet chili sauce.
This recipe was from Delicious Magazine. A good tip is to make the filling a day before and refrigerate it.  Then just assemble and bake the pies the next day.