Denise Cornellier's Chicken and savoy cabbage pie

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PREP TIME

40 min

Makes

6 Servings

* PLUS Cooking time: 13 minutes, Refrigeration Time: 20 minutes, Baking Time: 45 minutes

Chef-caterer at Cornellier Traiteur in Montreal, Denise Cornellier just launched a series of cooking classes in her studio kitchen. The inspiration for the cabbage filling in this dish “comes from a meal I had at a restaurant in Paris 25 years ago.” It can be made ahead and reheated.

Ingredients

  • 1 large head savoy cabbage
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 slices thick-cut bacon , or 1/3 cup (75 mL) diced smoked pork fat
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 small onion , finely chopped
  • 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/3 cup 35% cream
  • generous pinch salt
  • generous pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 397-g pkg frozen puff pastry
  • 2 7 to 8-in store-bought crepes , or white-flour tortillas, or 4 cabbage leaves
  • 1 egg , lightly beaten

Instructions

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, thinly slice about 6 large cabbage leaves. They should measure about 5 cups (1.25 L). If using cabbage leaves instead of crepes or tortillas in step 3, remove 4 more leaves, leaving them whole. Add cabbage strips to boiling water and blanch about 2 min. Rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Cool. Repeat blanching with whole cabbage leaves, if using.
  • In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium. Thinly slice bacon, then add to pan. Cook until fairly crisp, about 3 min. Meanwhile, prepare garlic and onion. Add to pan along with sliced cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 min. While cabbage is cooking, cut chicken into large bite-sized chunks. It should measure about 3 cups (750 mL). Stir cream into cabbage mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender and cream has evaporated, 5 to 10 min. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then refrigerate until ready to use, about 20 min.
  • Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of pastry into a circle measuring about 9 in. (23 cm). Place in centre of parchment. Roll remaining pastry into a circle measuring about 11 in. (27.5 cm). Set aside. Lay a crepe or tortilla or 1 or 2 cabbage leaves over 9-in. (23-cm) pastry round. If using cabbage leaves, trim, if needed, to about 7 to 8 in. (17.5 to 20 cm) wide. Mound half of the uncooked chicken on top, leaving about ½ in. (1 cm) of outside edge uncovered. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Evenly cover with cabbage mixture, then with remaining uncooked chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with remaining crepe, tortilla or cabbage leaves. Drape remaining rolled-out pastry over chicken. Tightly crimp bottom pastry with top pastry to seal well. Brush top with egg.
  • Bake pie in centre of oven for 15 min, then reduce temperature to 375F (190C). Continue to bake until a skewer inserted in centre of pie comes out hot and pastry is a deep golden brown, 30 to 45 more min. Let stand 10 min before slicing. If making ahead, baked pie will keep well covered and refrigerated up to 1 day.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories
  • 624,
  • Protein
  • 26 g,
  • Carbohydrates
  • 38 g,
  • Fat
  • 41 g,
  • Fibre
  • 3 g,
  • Sodium
  • 287 mg.

Reheating tip: Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Place cold pie on a baking sheet. Completely cover with foil and reheat until a skewer inserted in centre of pie comes out hot, 60 to 70 min.

Is it done yet? Can’t tell if your chicken’s been cooked thoroughly? Insert an instant-read digital thermometer into the thickest part of cooked chicken. Health Canada deems chicken pieces safe if they’re cooked to 165F (74C) and says whole chickens are fine if they reach 185F (85C).

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