Piri-piri braai chicken pie

Name: Piri-piri braai chicken pie
Prep time: 12 h
Cook time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 8–10
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 10 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped; 1 red onion, roughly chopped; large bunch coriander, roughly chopped; large bunch basil, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 3 tbsp smoked paprika; 130ml/4fl oz olive oil; 2 lemons, zest and juice; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs; 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing; 250g/9oz mushrooms, sliced; 2 x 500g blocks shop-bought puff pastry; plain flour, for dusting; 150g/5½oz cheddar, grated; 100g/3½oz mozzarella, grated; 2 tbsp piri-piri sauce; 150g/5½oz baby spinach, washed and dried; 1 free-range egg, mixed with 1 tsp olive oil for glazing; ½ green cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced (preferably with a mandoline); ¼ red cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced (preferably with a mandoline); 2 large carrots, grated; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 125g/4½oz mayonnaise; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; small bunch parsley, chopped; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare: overnight
Cook: 1 to 2 hours
Serve: Serves 8–10
Dietary: Nut-free

In this dish both the piri-piri chicken filling and the actual pie are cooked on a braai for a delicious, smoky finish.

By Nokx Majozi

From Saturday Kitchen

Shopping list

Ingredients

For the piri-piri marinade

10 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 red onion, roughly chopped
large bunch coriander, roughly chopped
large bunch basil, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 tbsp smoked paprika
130ml/4fl oz olive oil
2 lemons, zest and juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pie

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
250g/9oz mushrooms, sliced
2 x 500g blocks shop-bought puff pastry
plain flour, for dusting
150g/5½oz cheddar, grated
100g/3½oz mozzarella, grated
2 tbsp piri-piri sauce
150g/5½oz baby spinach, washed and dried
1 free-range egg, mixed with 1 tsp olive oil for glazing

For the coleslaw

½ green cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced (preferably with a mandoline)
¼ red cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced (preferably with a mandoline)
2 large carrots, grated
1 red onion, finely chopped
125g/4½oz mayonnaise
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
small bunch parsley, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe tips

Method

To make the piri-piri marinade, add the chillies, garlic, peppers, onion, coriander, basil, oregano and smoked paprika to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Stir in the oil, lemon zest and juice and salt and pepper, to taste, until combined.
To make the pie, mix the chicken in a bowl with 200ml/7fl oz of the marinade (set the rest aside for later). Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or ideally overnight.
Light your braai (or barbecue) 30 minutes before you want to cook. Alternatively, place a griddle pan over a high heat. Brush the griddle pan with oil.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess marinade to drip off, and place the chicken on the braai or griddle pan.
Cook for about 20 minutes, regularly turning the chicken to cook both sides. Check it’s cooked through and the juices are running clear, then remove from the heat. Slice the meat into thin strips and set aside to cool.
Add the oil to a frying pan over a high heat. When it starts to smoke, add the mushrooms and fry for 2–4 minutes. Remove from the heat and tip the mushrooms onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any moisture. Set aside to cool.
Remove the pastry from the fridge 15 minutes before using so it has time to soften a little. Lightly dust a clean work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll the two blocks of pastry out into 2 sheets about 30x60cm/12x24in and 5mm/¼in thick.
Oil a braai grid or stainless steel barbecue grill basket all over. Place a sheet of puff pastry in the grid and trim any excess around the edge. Leaving a 2cm/¾in border around the edge, scatter over the chicken strips, then drizzle them with a few tablespoons of slightly watered down leftover marinade. Add half the cheese, the piri-piri sauce, then the rest of the cheese, the mushrooms and finally the spinach.
Brush around the edges of the pastry with the egg and oil mixture and place the other pastry sheet on top. Trim the top sheet of pastry to match the bottom sheet, then seal the edges by folding them in a little.
Brush all over with the egg and oil mixture. Close the grid, turn it over and brush the other side with the egg and oil mixture too. Poke a few small holes into the top using a fork.
To cook on the braai: Place the grid over very low heat charcoal. Flip the pie every 5 minutes or so, for about 30–35 minutes, until it’s golden brown, puffy and crisp on both sides.
To cook in the oven: Set the grill to medium. Cook the pie for 35–40 minutes, checking every 10 minutes or so. Be careful not to let it burn, if it’s starting to look done on one side, flip it over to cook the other side, You’ll need to turn it once or twice.
Meanwhile, to make the coleslaw, add the cabbages, carrot and onion to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Combine the mayonnaise with the wholegrain mustard in a small bowl.
Add the mustard mayo and parsley into the cabbage mixture and stir well until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, mixing well between each addition.
To serve, cut the pie into 8–10 pieces and serve with the coleslaw.