Winter is definitely approaching here in Cape Town, and I am getting excited to immerse myself in Winter recipes. Soups, stews, hearty roasts and other belly warming dishes on are my agenda. Last year I perfected my chicken pie recipe, and this week when it started cooling down, it was the first recipe I thought to make.

I wanted to tweak my regular pie recipe just a little, so I decided to make the mini pies. I also spiced it up a little with a bit of paprika, which gave the pies a lovely sweet and smoky flavour.

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Before I get into the recipe, let's explore the history of the pie, and a little about the different types of pies out there

What is a Pie?

A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients.
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History of Pies

The first form of traditional pie is credited to the Ancient Greeks, who served a sweet, fruit-filled version around 5th century BC. The Romans also used a flour, oil and water paste to create a pastry to cover cooked birds and other meats, preventing the juices from leaking out.

Throughout history, the pie was used as an easy, cheap meal, and spread all over Europe, thanks to the well-built roads and infrastructure implemented by the Romans.

In America, the Pilgrims are credited for introducing pies to the continent, and they served as a wonderful means to stretching available food.

Different Types of Pies

Typically, there are two types of pies, single or double crust.

A single-, bottom- or top-crust pie has a filling under or on top of the crust.

A double-crust has all the filling in the centre, and is completely enclosed. This is like my recipe below.

Did You Know?

Throwing a pie in a person's face has been a staple of film comedy since Ben Turpin received one in Mr. Flip in 1909
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INGREDIENTS

makes ten small pies, or one large pie

• 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 250g assorted mushrooms, sliced finely
• 1 cup of peas
• three large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 onion, sliced into half moons
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1 T parsley, chopped finely
• 1 T sage, chopped finely
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 roll of puff pastry

METHOD

Fry the onion and garlic until lightly coloured.

While it is frying, mix a little salt, pepper and the paprika into the flour. Lightly coat the chicken with the flour mixture, and add to the pan, frying in batches. You don't want to crowd the pan.

Fry until browned, and remove from pan.

Add the carrots and herbs and fry until softened. Add the mushrooms and peas and cook a little.

Add the chicken back into the pot, and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the stock, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for a while until the stock reduces and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool

Grease a large sized muffin tin, and on a clean surface, roll out the puff pastry and cut into rounds. Place the rounds into the muffin tray, and add the filling to the tray. Cover the pies with a top round of pastry and fold over to create a sealed pie. Poke two small holes into the top pastry - this is SUPER IMPORTANT, as it will ensure the pastry is not soggy.

Cook for approximately half an hour until the bottom is golden brown. You can now glaze the top of the pastry with a bit of egg wash for a nice shiny, crispy top.

Serve with some mash n gravy for the most wholesome, hearty winter's night dinner, or freeze for weekday lunches.

Please let me know in the comments if you have any winter recipe requests, I love reader requests!

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