Creamy Chicken, Pea & Asparagus Tart

Creamy Chicken, Pea & Asparagus Tart

  • Leg
  • 4 as a main
  • 1 hour 50mins
  • Medium
For those of you who remember those tiny little bite size vol-au-vents that were all the rage in the 70’s this will bring back a lovely little nostalgia when you take a bite. This creamy chicken tart is a perfect sunny day dinner and can easily be prepared in advance. It has a rich creamy sauce that really compliments the buttery flaky pastry and is truly delicious served hot or cold.

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of ready to roll puff pastry (or you could make your own)
  • 500g of Herb Fed chopped chicken thighs or diced leg meat
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon
  • 4 -6 tablespoons cream
  • 200g frozen peas (defrosted)
  • 300ml water
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Extra salt to season
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a splash of cold water to thicken
  • Asparagus spears 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven at 220°C (200°C for fan assisted ovens) /Gas Mark 7.
  2. Place the chicken, water and stock cube into a pan bring to the boil, then simmer gently for around 30 to 40 minutes or until the meat is tender and can easily be shredded.
  3. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred the meat.
  4. With the liquid, add the black pepper, tarragon, cream and bring to heat, thicken slightly with the cornflour until you get a lovely rich thick sauce.
  5. Then return the shredded chicken and defrosted peas back to the pan and stir to combine you should have a lovely rather thick sauce. It doesn’t want to be runny, or it will fall off the pastry. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly. If not cooking straight away pop in the fridge to assemble later.
  6. Roll out the pastry, score an indent inside the case approx. 2 cm depth with a sharp knife.
  7. Egg wash and bake for around 10 minutes until lightly golden.  Then remove from the oven and flatten down the inside. 
  8. Blanch the asparagus for a few minutes to soften slightly.
  9. Then add the thick sauce to the middle of the pastry case, spreading out to the sides to give an even amount throughout. 
  10. Place the asparagus on top of the sauce and bake in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.  

Slice, Serve and enjoy x 

Recipe courtesy of @Stephs_food_diaryÂ