Sherry; that fortified wine sipped by senior citizens in small stemmed glasses or guzzled from brown bags under bridges by varicose vagrants. Sherry is produced the world over, but only those wines that originate from the Cadiz province can take they name Sherry, all others must take the name Apera.
The Spanish wine making tradition owes itself to nearly 3000 years of conquest and colonisation from the Phoenicians, the Romans, Carthaginians, Greeks, and even the Islamic Moors, whom without there would be no sherry as they introduced distillation to the region with the alembic “still”.
Seafaring merchants loved this commodity as it would last the long oversea journeys and reach its destination unspoiled… that is if it was left unmolested by buccaneers, corsairs or privateers. Sir Francis Drake, famously looted 2900 barrels of the stuff as booty after he sacked Cadiz in 1587 after annihilating the Spanish fleet that prepared to invade England.
These wine are produced by first fermenting white grapes and then fortifying with grape spirit before maturing in oak barrels and can come in various forms, from bone dry Fino, medium dry Oloroso to sticky sweet Pedro Ximénez dessert varieties. Besides being quaffed, it is also an excellent ingredient when being used to marinade meats or make thick rich sauces. This is why this bold brigand has used it as the essential ingredient in his crispy, crusty creation. Grab your boarding axe and sharpen your cutlass with The Culinary Barbarian’s, Sherry Chicken and Leek Pie!
Ingredients:
500g chicken thigh, diced
3 sheets shortcrust pastry
1 leek, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
6 button mushrooms, finely sliced
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup medium dry sherry
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp plain flour
1 pinch white pepper
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk, for glazing
Method:
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Lightly grease a 20cm diameter pie dish and line the dish with a sheet of pastry, pushing the pastry to the bottom and ensuring that there are no large air pockets. Trim any large over hanging sections of the pastry (the square corners) of the pastry and roll the edge to make a thick pie crust. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork about 6 times to vent any air during the blind bake. Line the pastry with backing paper and dill with baking beads, dried beans or dry rice to prevent the pastry from rising. Bake for 10 minutes, and then remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 5-8 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- On a high heat, Fry off the diced chicken in 1 tbsp of butter until browned all over. Remove once the juices run clear and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium, add 1 more tbsp of butter to the fry pan and sweat the leeks, garlic, mushrooms until translucent. Add the remaining vegetables and sauté until tender. Add the chicken back to the mixture and stir. Remove from heat.
- For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt the remaining butter until bubbling and whisk in the flour to make a roux. When the roux mixture begins to change colour to a light brown add the sherry and whisk thoroughly, then add the wine and the stock. Add the pepper to taste and whisk until slightly thickened and the sauce has reduced. Remove from heat.
- Return the chicken and vegetable mixture to the heat and stir in the sauce until well mixed. Spoon the mixture into the pie base and mounding slightly in the centre.
- Now for the most fun part. Cut the remaining shortcrust pastry dough into long 2 cm strips and weave a lid for the pie. Roll the edges of the pastry and press into the edge of the pie base with a fork and decorate the top with any excess pastry withy whatever motif moves you. Brush the pastry with milk and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve with peas, mash or roasted veggies.
