Chicken & Cheese Plait

So this recipe is from an all chicken recipe book we were given recently. It's the first recipe I've tried from it, and I'm hoping the other ones will be a little better than this was. It wasn't bad, and it wasn't difficult to make, but it wasn't anything special either. It looks really cool and might work well as an appetizer thing at a party? You could cut it into slices and serve it that way. Doug and I agreed that it would have been much better if it was smothered in Hollandaise sauce. It was just a little bland. And of course I chose this recipe before I realized I hated thyme so much. We basically just sprinkled a tiny bit on this pastry and it was more than enough.

• 1 lb raw chicken, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 4 oz chopped mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 oz cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 14 oz puff pastry, thawed
• 1 beaten egg, to glaze

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the diced chicken, bell pepper, mushrooms, and cheeses and season well with the salt, pepper and thyme. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch square and place the chicken mixture down the center leaving a 1 inch margin on the top and base.

Using a sharp knife, make 11 or 12 diagonal cuts on the pastry on each side of the filling. Lightly brush the pastry edge and strips with water. Fold the top and bottom ends up over the filling and then cover the filling with alternate strips of pastry from each side to make a plait.

Carefully transfer to a lightly greased or dampened baking sheet and glaze thoroughly with beaten egg. Cook for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Continue cooking for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot or cold in slices.

NOTES: We used the entire package of pastry sheets, which is a little more than the 14oz they call for in this recipe. And it comes in 2 sheets so we actually made 2 smaller plaits instead of 1 large one. Doug used our pizza cutter to do the slices and I think it probably made it easier than using a regular old knife.

For the next few weeks I think I'll focus on some sides, breads or desserts. I have tons of dessert recipes that I never have occasion to make, so my co-workers might be the lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) recipients of some of my newest treats.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 55 min

Recipe from 50 Great Chicken Recipes - Light and Healthy, by Rosemary Wadey