Chicken and Root Vegetable Pasties

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 3 1/2 (500g) cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (250g0 cold butter (2 sticks)
• 7/8 cup (200ml) water

Filling:

• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 12 ounces (350g) cooked chicken breast, cubed
• 3 shallots, diced
• 1 large Yukon potato, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of flour
• 3 tablespoons of water or stock
• 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme or sage
• 1 large egg whisked for pastry assembly

Method: 

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pour the flour into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Cut the butter into slices and put it into the bowl. Using your hands, rub the butter together with the flour until the floured butter is in the shape of small peas. Add the water and mix the batter up until the dough is just moistened. Don't overwork the dough, it will turn out crumbly. If the dough looks too dry add 2 more tablespoons of water. Pat the dough into a ball shape, and set aside.

In a large cooking pan, heat butter over medium-low heat, and add all chopped vegetables. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper (to taste). Cook on low heat until almost soft.

When veggies are almost soft, add chicken and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Stir constantly to avoid any burning.

After the chicken is cooked, add 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 3 tablespoons of water/stock.

Stir the mixture and add herbs and nutmeg

Cover and cook on low heat until well combined.

Divide and dough into 6 pieces. On a well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into an 8 1/2-inch circle. As you are rolling out the dough, make sure to turn it frequently to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. You can prepare all the dough at once or work on one pastry at a time (I chose the latter due to lack of counter space).

Make a small handful of filling and place it in the center of the rolled-out dough. You want to make sure that there is about an inch of clear space around the edge of the dough. Brush the egg wash along this empty space.

Fold the dough over the filling to create a semi-circle shape. Do this with confidence! Seal the pastry. You can crimp the edges with a fork or fold it, as I did. When I folded the edges of the pastry, I brushed some egg wash along the edge to the fold and stayed put during the baking process. Brush egg over the entire pastry. Repeat these steps for the rest of the dough.

Place the prepared pasties on baking sheets and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Best served immediately (with a little gravy drizzled on top is my favorite).