Chicken Pastel

I've seen this recipe from Panlasang Pinoy and I thought I just have to try it.  The only challenge is the dough that needs to be put on top of the whole chicken mix.  This mama has started to learn baking but not making dough or bread... so it was a challenge for me.  But then, I had an idea.  I saw a ready-made dough for making empanadas(similar to a pie) here in Spain.  So I thought perhaps I can use that.  Then here comes hubby poking his nose on my cooking (I actually asked his opinion ;-) ) and told me that hojaldre dough is better and tastier.  Hojaldre is a type of pastry that is flaky. It is also called danish pastry. 

Hojaldre in my hand, I prepared to do the chicken pastel.  

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 pieces Chorizo (or Chinese sausage) I used whatever chorizo I had in the fridge.  It was a chorizo criollo but perhaps even chorizo de bilbao in the Philippines would be a good substitute.  I am not actually familiar with chinese sausage heh.
2 pieces Beef franks (or Vienna sausage, hotdogs) I used bratwurst coz that's what I have :) This is what I love about cooking... it's easy to substitue ingredients and you can still get the same or even better result.
1 regular sized carrots, cubed
1 regular sized potato, cubed
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock I just boiled a cup of water and then dissolve a chicken broth cube in it.
6 to 10 pieces green olives  I used those conserved olives in a bottle and they tasted really nice in the chicken pastel.

 

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 pc lemon (or 5 pieces calamansi) In this part of the world, calamansi is unheart of so I definitely used lemon.
1 cup white mushroom sliced (or button mushrooms) I used the fresh ones but I'm pretty sure canned ones would be ok too.

1 cup butter I just used half cup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 cups water


Cooking Procedure:

1. Marinade the chicken in lemon and soy sauce mixture for a minimum of 10 minutes
2. In a pot, place 3 cups of water and bring to a boil
3. Add the salt and pepper then put-in the chicken
4. Let the chicken cook until liquid completely evaporates. Set aside
5. On the same pan, apply heat and place the butter
6. Put-in the tenderized chicken and fry until the color turns golden brown
7. Add the Chorizo (or Chinese sausage) and beef franks (or Vienna sausage, hotdogs) and simmer for 5 minutes
8. Pour the chicken stock and bring to a boil

9. Put-in the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and green olives. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes.  If using a ready-made dough, you may want to simmer it for more than 5 minutes... maybe until carrots and potatoes are done.  In my case the ready-made dough baked really fast and the carrots were not very done.  In any case, it was still good for me since I even eat raw carrots :)
10. Thicken the sauce by adding flour and butter mixture (please see procedures below on how to make this)
11. Put the chicken in an oven-safe container and cover the top with dough (The dough will eventually be the pie crust after baking.)
12. Place in the oven and bake in 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Ok this is the tricky part.  Since I used hojaldre and it is ready to used, I didn't know that few minutes were enough... perhaps I just baked it for 10-15 minutes.  Good thing I was checking the oven from time to time because it almost got burned!  Well, it kinda got burned.

See the dough covering the baking crystal pan? So we need to trim the excess right? I did and since I am a self-confessed frugal and I hate throwing away food, I tried to put lift the dough and put the trimmed dough inside.... result? The dough was ruined.  Of course the chicken mix is hot and the dough started to become really soft.  But what the heck, everything is going to be grinded in the tummy anyways sooo, I just ignored the unsightly result hah!  Next time, I'd know better.  I won't throw the excess dough but I I'd probably just roll the sides on top and press it with a fork so it will be similar to the sides of the pizza :)

How to make the flour and butter mixture:
1. Heat a small pan and put-in 3 tbsp of butter
2. Add the flour and mix well
3. Pour ½ to 1 cup of water and mix thoroughly

I'm putting here the procedure for making the dough just in case some would want to attempt :)

How to make the Pie Crust:
1. In a large container, combine the following: 3 cups flour, ½ cup butter, ¼ tsp salt, and 3 tsp water
2. Mix the combined ingredients thoroughly (this will become the dough)
3. Knead the dough. Make sure that everything is properly distributed
4. Flatten the dough by using a rolling pin
5. Fit the dough on top of the container and trim according to the container size
6. Using a fork, shape the edge of the dough by pressing
7. Cover the edges with aluminum foil to prevent over cooking
8. Bake in 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes

What comes after if the taste test! I got a big Mmmmmmm ¡Que rico! from hubby.  My smile was from ear to ear.

Served!

and the left over went straight to hubby's packed lunch for the following day!