Bake

Red Thai Chicken Pie From Crystelle Pereira

by:
October 31, 2023
5
1 Ratings
Photo by Food52
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I love a good comforting pie—they are quintessentially British—but as I also love using fresh, vibrant flavors taken from international cuisines, out came this creation: my Red Thai Chicken Pie. Please don’t be intimidated—there are lots of shortcuts in this recipe to make it as simple as possible. For example, some store-bought curry pastes are actually really good, so all we’re going to do is spruce it up slightly with fresh lemongrass, fish sauce, and a hint of maple syrup to balance out the spiciness. We’re also using ready-made puff pastry and, by layering in a little curry-flavored butter, you end up with an even flakier and more flavor-packed pastry, with minimal effort. —Food52

Test Kitchen Notes

Reprinted from Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists by Crystelle Pereira. Copyright © 2023 Octopus Publishing Group. —Food52
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Red Thai Chicken Pie From Crystelle Pereira
Ingredients
  • For the pie filling:
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, for frying
  • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced into strips
  • 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 scallions, cut horizontally into thirds
  • 1 (1-inch) pieces fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
  • 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 ounces baby corn, cut diagonally into thirds
  • 3 1/2 ounces sugar snap peas, cut diagonally into thirds
  • 4 cups (9 ounces) chestnut or shiitake mushrooms, cut into quarters
  • 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 stick lemongrass
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
  • For the puff pastry "lid":
  • 1 teaspoon Thai curry paste
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 (12 ounce) ready-rolled puff pastry
  • 1 large egg (for egg wash)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions
  1. Gently melt half the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-low heat, then fry the onion for a minute or two until softened. Add the leek and fry for another minute. Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger, and fry until soft, another 2 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a dish and set aside.
  2. Add the remaining coconut oil to the pan and brown the chicken for about 5 minutes. Add the leek and onion mixture back in, along with the curry paste, stir to coat and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
  3. Sprinkle over the flour to coat everything and fry for 5 minutes.Add the vegetables, coconut milk (reserving the can), fish sauce, and maple syrup and mix to combine. Bash the lemongrass with a pestle to release its aromas, then add this to the pan and give everything a good stir. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Transfer the mixture into a 9-inch-wide dish and let cool down to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator.
  5. Heat the oven to 425°F/200°C.
  6. Prepare the puff pastry: In a bowl, mix 1 heaping teaspoon curry paste with the butter and beat until well combined. Roll out the puff pastry and spread this mix over one half of the pastry, then fold the dry side over the buttered side and roll this out to be slightly larger than the size of your Dutch oven.
  7. Chill the pastry in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, to allow the butter layer to harden, then lay the pastry over the Dutch oven and fold any overhang inside the rim of the dish. Beat the egg with any remaining coconut milk in the can and brush lightly over the pastry. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and cut a small cross in the middle of the pastry, to allow some of the steam to escape.
  8. Bake the pie in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up and is a golden brown color. Slice and serve. (Just don’t forget to remove the lemongrass after slicing.)

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1 Review

Shadi D. November 4, 2023
This is so good! Red curry was perfect for this.

Made a few small tweaks for our preferences. Doubled lemongrass & added extra curry paste. Also cooked most steps a little longer than listed.