It always feels so calming and warm to cook good food and what is more satisfating than feeding the people you love is the feeling you get by feeding yourself (a mouth watering sense of proud).
My dear friend Evelien has witnessed my obsession for food and how I can be judgemental and harsh with other people's meals.
My all italian heritage and the fact that mommy has been a professional chef for years could in fact justify my attitude when it comes about food; but what is more explenatory is that not only I was spoiled as a baby; but with food I was squeamish and greedy at the same time.It does mean I didn't eat many things,but when I did, I ate a lot.
Moving out of my parental nest forced me to confront myself with pottery and cookery and what was surprising is that I'm really passionate about it.
Not only I find what I cook to be better than many things I've eaten in years; but the earthiness and often repetive procedures of cooking are for me therapeutic.
This is a recipe I've seen on one of Nigella Lawson's TV show even though I've tried to semplify even more what was already very easy.
Mau
xx
Ingridients
Puff Pastry
50g of Bacon
250g of Mushrooms
1tbsp of Cold Butter
70g of Chicken Breast
1,5tbsp of Flour
Chicken or Meat Stock
Parsley
Chilli Flavoured Oil
Method
Fry briskly till lightly caramelized 50g of bacon in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat ( you won't need any oil as the fat of the bacon will be released while it cooks).
Add 200g of mushrooms (I've add frozen champignon mushrooms, nothing chic really) in the pan and let them soften until chesnutty brown and spongy.
Trim off any fatty or bloody bits from the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into 2-3cm chunks and mix it with the 1,5 tbsp of flour makingsure the meat is properly . Add the butter and the chicken bits in the pan.
When the diced white meat of the chicken is coloured, add a generous glass ( around 150ml) of chicken stock ( I used the Knorr ready-made I've found at the supermarket, who expects me to be able to prepare stock? I'm neither able of that nor willing).
Let the stock absorb and when it thichens just take of the eat, add a swirl of chilli flavoured oil and some parsley to add heat and freshness. Let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
When cold pour the mix in a pot ( I used a tiny ceramic oven tray I've randomly found in the cuboard)and cover with the puff pastry, Press the edges so the pastry will stick to the pot and cut and pierce the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200c° for 25 to 30 minutes... and enjoy.
