Neven Maguire: nice as pie – a slice of heaven

Thankfully, this past week or so, we escaped the worst of the wintry weather experienced in other parts of the country, but as expected, we had a lot of cancellations because of it. Frost and snow, at this time of year, can really affect your business, but it is understandable.

If the roads are bad, people need to be sensible, cautious and, above all, safe. We look forward to these guests coming back to us later on this year, so all is not lost.

I made the most of my New Year break and went to one of my favourite places – the Portuguese island of Madeira – with Amelda, Connor and Lucia. We had a very relaxing time.

It is so easy to get to Madeira now, with direct flights available, and the climate is one of the nicest you’ll find in Europe at this time of year. It was great to be able to swim in the sea in January. I know there are people in Ireland who swim in the sea all year round, but they are made of sterner stuff than I am.

Speaking of Madeira, I have been getting lots of lovely comments about my new series, Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails, which has now begun on RTÉ1 and airs on Wednesday evenings at 8pm.

Portugal is a place I just love to visit; I have been there many times over the years. The food is excellent and the Portuguese people are very genuine. It is easy to see why so many Irish visit each year.

Filming this series was great fun, largely thanks to my producer of many years, David Hare – we always have an interesting time together – and to Brian Walsh in RTÉ, who is just great to work with.

Today I am sharing two tasty recipes using cooked chicken. Now that the kids are back in school, we parents are always on the look out for quick, tasty and wholesome dinners.

I never roast just one chicken at a time – the oven is on anyway, so why not cook two and have extra for lunches and dinners during the week? Of course, you can also buy hot roasted chicken in most supermarkets which are good value and great for when you are pressed for time.

Nice as pie

There is nothing tastier than a nice pie, and even after all that indulgent food we had over the holidays, this cold weather we’ve been experiencing has us craving something warm and filling. This chicken pie definitely fits the bill.

I make this throughout the year; Connor and Lucia love it with peas and sweetcorn. The celery in the pie adds a nice depth of flavour and a bit of texture. I think celery is a very underused vegetable, but it is so versatile. The same goes for leeks. Use all of the leek – it drives me mad to see the green part of the leek tossed aside.

The Dijon mustard adds a nice punch of flavour to this pie, though I have a bit of an odd relationship with mustard, personally. Sometimes I like it – as I do here – but I never love it.

For puff pastry, you won’t find better than Mairead Finnegan’s Roll It Pastry which is produced just down the road from us in Co Meath. You can find her frozen puff pastry in supermarkets throughout the country, including with the Simply Better range at Dunnes Stores.

Serve this pie piping hot with a bowl of mashed potatoes and some buttered peas for the perfect wintry meal.

For a change from the traditional, these quesadillas are another great way to use leftover chicken, pork, fish or steak. I made this recipe just a few weeks ago with leftover Christmas turkey.

This recipe has a nice, zesty flavour. You can assemble the quesadillas a day or two in advance and – honestly – I think they taste even better when they’re made ahead of time because the flavours have time to meld and mingle.

I love the combination of the two cheeses used in this recipe – you get the lovely creaminess from the cheese and the zingy, fresh flavours from the homemade salsa.

Ingredients: Serves 6-8

75g butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

350ml chicken stock (or use up any leftover gravy)

120ml dry white wine

2 small leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

100g button mushrooms, halved

150ml cream

2 tsp Dijon mustard

600g leftover cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

500g all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen

Egg wash, to glaze (1 egg or yolk beaten with a splash of milk)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Heat 25g of the butter in a large sauté pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and thyme and sauté for 6–8 minutes, until tender but not coloured.

2 Add the rest of the butter and allow to melt, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and/or gravy and the wine until the sauce is thickened and smooth.

3 Bring to a simmer, then add the leeks and mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes, until tender. Stir in the cream and mustard and cook for another minute or two, stirring. Season to taste, then remove from the heat and fold in the chicken.

4 Transfer to a 25cm pie dish or any large ovenproof dish. Leave to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

5 Preheat the oven to 180°C.

6 Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it’s the thickness of a €1 coin and large enough to easily cover the pie dish. Brush the edge of the pie dish with egg wash, then cover with the pastry.

7 Use a sharp knife to trim down as necessary and use a fork to lightly press around the edge to crimp it. Stamp or cut out leaves from the pastry leftovers and use to decorate the pie, if liked. Brush with more egg wash and make a small hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape.

8 Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and golden brown. Serve straight to the table with some creamy mashed potatoes and buttered peas.

Ingredients: Serves 2

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

4 soft flour tortillas

1 mild fresh red chilli, cut into rings (optional)

225g leftover cooked chicken

2 handfuls each grated red cheddar and mozzarella

For the mango salsa:

1 firm, ripe mango, peeled and finely diced

1 small roasted red pepper, peeled, deseeded and diced

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 First, make the mango salsa: place all ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine, then season to taste. Cover with cling film and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop.

2 Scatter the red onion on two of the tortillas and sprinkle over the chilli (if using). Arrange the chicken on top, then cover with the cheese and remaining tortillas.

3 Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the quesadillas one at a time and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the outsides are lightly toasted, the cheese is melted and the insides are hot.

4 Cut into wedges and serve with mango salsa and a fresh green salad on the side.

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