Chicken, Bacon and Broad Bean Pies Posted by Kate Flower 31 August, 2010 - 3:52 PM

Such is strife ...life.

Ok so I watched it. You know what I’m talking about!

What were you hoping to see? Intimate details of his life, car crash moments or the uplifting story of his family’s unfailing love and support?

Whatever you were watching it for the doco dealing with Ben Cousins battle with drug addiction was certainly honest. I was amazed by Ben’s ability to maintain fitness while torturing his body week after week both on and off the footy field. What was clear to me was Ben’s lack of respect for his family, his footy club, his ex girlfriend and most of all himself during the years he played Russian roulette with his life.

Hopefully he can be better to himself going forward and we can all learn something from his gutsy decision to bare all. (including those rippling abs)

He may have made some mistakes in his life but I must admit I still felt like fixing the lost football star. You know, prepare him home cooked meals, and provide a shoulder to cry or an ear when he needed it. I assure you it has nothing to do with his rippling abs!

This is for you Ben!


Chicken, Bacon and Broad Bean Pies (makes 6-8 individual pies)

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion finely diced
3 stalk celery finely diced
2 clove garlic finely chopped
3 medium potato peeled and diced 2cm
1 kg chicken thigh diced 3cm
2/3 cup white wine
11/3 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp plain flour
4 tsp fresh thyme chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
1 ½ cup frozen peas
1 ½ cup broad beans (fresh or frozen) pod removed
3 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg whisked
Salt and pepper

Method
Heat half the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 2 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 2 more batches with remaining chicken. Heat the butter and remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the speck, onion, celery, potato and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion and celery softens. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken, wine and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.. Sprinkle the plain flour over the chicken mixture and stir until combined and sauce thickens. Add the broad beans, peas, lemon zest and thyme and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place puff pastry cut 2cm wider than the ramekin over the top to enclose the filling and tuck the edges under. Use the back of a table knife to press the pastry down around the edge at 1cm intervals. Use a small, sharp knife to pierce the centre allowing steam to escape during cooking. Lightly brush the pastry with egg. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

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