We do love a good pie here at HELLO!, so we're beyond thrilled as this week is British Pie Week, celebrating delicious pies in all their forms from 2-8 March. The great thing about the humble pie is you can be so creative with your fillings. We love the sound of this chicken and ham hock pie with garlic butterbean and kale mash from pie masters Higgidy – plus it's gluten-free, meaning even more of us can try it. The pie is quick to throw together and if you're out of butterbeans, just add any white bean like cannellini or gigante. Take a look at the recipe below…
CHICKEN AND HAM HOCK PIE WITH GARLICKY BUTTERBEAN AND KALE MASH
Serves 4-6, Equipment: 1 x 2-litre ceramic ovenproof dish
INGREDIENTS
For the filling
- 2-3 tbsp chickpea flour
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 500g chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g or 4 large banana shallots peeled and quartered
- 350ml chicken stock
- 200g ham hock, pulled or shredded into finger-length pieces
- 250g mascarpone
The shallot is a type of onion
For the mash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 75g curly kale
- 2 x 400g tins of butterbeans
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6.
Step 2
Start off by combining the chickpea flour, mustard powder and cayenne in a large bowl. Then slice the chicken thighs into large bite-sized chunks and toss them in the flour mixture.
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Step 3
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large, shallow casserole or a large frying pan. Over a medium heat, fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes or until they have just begun to caramelise. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add a further tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and, over a high heat, fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes before turning the pieces over and cooking for 2-3 minutes more. The chicken should be nice and golden.
Kale is a rich source of vitamins A, C, K and B6
Step 4
Lower the heat slightly, return the shallots to the pan, add the hot chicken stock and give the mixture a good stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 6-7 minutes. You may need to stir the sauce halfway through to stop the mixture catching on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, stir in the ham and 100g of the mascarpone (saving 150g for the mash). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, tip into an ovenproof dish.
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Step 5
To make the mash: heat the oil and butter in a nonstick pan until sizzling. Add the garlic, kale and 50ml of water. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 8 minutes or until the kale has wilted and is tender. Meanwhile, drain the beans and rinse well under the tap. Then, with a fork or potato masher, squish the beans to a nobbly mush. Stir the beans into the kale and garlic mixture, add the zest and juice of the lemon and remaining mascarpone cheese. Season with salt and black pepper.
Step 6
Spoon the mash over the chicken pie filling and cook for 25-30 minutes in your preheated oven. Serve piping hot.
Higgidy is spreading the feel-good feeling this British Pie Week (2nd – 8th March) by launching its ‘#PieceofthePie’ campaign. The West Sussex-based business has pledged to match every Higgidy pie bought in supermarkets across the country with a pie donation to FareShare, the charity that fights hunger and tackles food waste in the UK.