Brazilian Chicken Pie

       

        

        There was this episode in TopChef that threw the contestants into an elimination challenge where they had to cater for a diplomatic event. Each of the chefs had to represent a traditional cuisine of a certain country (which was determined by the draw) and one of the participants got confused when he had got Brazil. At that point I questioned myself what do I know about Brazilian cuisine? Frankly speaking, absolutely nothing. During my not so long-term culinary journey I came across only one recipe of a dish that claimed to be Brazilian. Although, I somehow doubt it that it’s a truly authentic dish often cooked in the houses somewhere in Rio de Janeiro or San Paolo, nothing to say of the rural areas of the country. I guess when I eventually meet someone from Brazil, my first question will be about this pie (ok, it will be the second question, right after the one about the national obsession with several-hundred-episode TV series). 

Recipe adapted from “The Recipe Collection” magazine

Ingredients:

Dough

1 ½ cups plain flour

125 ml milk

1 egg

60 ml canola oil

1 ½ tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

Filling

1 chicken breast (about 200 gm), boiled

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

300 gm tomatoes, skinned and diced

100 gm black olives, pitted and sliced

100 gm green peas

100 gm sweet corn kernels

1 egg

2 tbsp mayonnaise

a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten (for brushing the pie)

Method:

1. For the dough, sieve flour together with baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs with milk and oil. Gradually add the flour mixture and knead into a ball. Leave, covered, for at least half an hour at room temperature to rest.
2. For filling, heat some oil in a pan and sauté onion and garlic till golden brown. Add tomatoes and olives and cook for 10 minutes more (if the mixture dries out, add some water or stock). Allow to cool, stir in corn kernels, peas, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste to check the seasoning, and then add an egg mixed with mayonnaise.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a 20cm round cake tin with a greased paper. Roll 2/3 of the dough into a circle and put into the prepared tin. Put the filling inside, roll the remaining dough and cover a pie. Seal the edges thoroughly and prick the top with fork to allow the steam to go out. Bake for 20 minutes, covered, then brush with an egg wash and, if necessary, prick the top again and bake for further 20 minutes or until golden brown in colour.

Notes:

1.      There was no egg and mayonnaise in the original recipe, but the filling was a bit dry and didn’t stay together when cut through. Use only egg white for a lighter option.

2.      An egg wash for the top of the pie is, as always, just an option. You can skip it altogether or use some tea for that intense colour.