Chicken Pies with Eggplant and Mushroom

Name: Chicken Pies with Eggplant and Mushroom
Yield: Makes 6
Ingredients: 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 125 g (4½ oz) brown onions, finely chopped; 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil; 250 g (9 oz) eggplant (aubergine), cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes; 1 handful basil, leaves torn; 50 g (1¾ oz) parmesan cheese, grated; 5 g (⅛ oz/1 teaspoon) salt; 5 g (⅛ oz/1 teaspoon) white pepper; 250 g (9 oz) button mushrooms, quartered; 55 ml (1¾ fl oz) verjuice; 750 g (1 lb 10 oz) skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes; 6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked; 12 g (⅓ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted; 12 g (⅓ oz) butter; 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) milk; pepitas (pumpkin seeds), for sprinkling; sesame seeds, for sprinkling; egg wash, for brushing; ½ quantity puff pastry; 1 quantity savoury shortcrust pastry

Preparation info

Makes
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Bourke Street Bakery

By Paul Allam and David McGuinness

Published 2009

About

This is a wonderfully simple chicken pie with big chunks of chicken, mushrooms, eggplant and whole basil leaves in a béchamel sauce. You should be able to taste each ingredient individually and the pie as a whole.

Ingredients

250 g (9 oz) eggplant (aubergine), cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes
60 ml (

Main course
Pie

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Put the eggplant cubes in a single layer on a tray and sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside for 10 minutes, then rinse well. Put t