- Serves 6
- 100g (3½oz) Homemade Matsoni
- (see page 29) or natural yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- pinch of saffron threads (optional)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried barberries (or sultanas)
- 200g (7oz) poached chicken meat, torn
- into chunks
- 1 tablespoon chopped spring onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- 50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large piece of Armenian or Persian lavash
- (or any other thin flatbread)
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (or sesame,
- pumpkin or linseed)
- sea salt flakes
Lavash, chicken & herb pie with barberries
Olia Hercules
4th September 2017
Lavash, chicken & herb pie with barberries
This is an extremely simple dish, taught to me by an Armenian friend, and one of the best ways to turn chicken leftovers into something mind-blowing, although it would be totally worth poaching a whole chicken just to make this. Herbs, seasoned yogurt, barberries, toasted sunflower seeds, chicken, crispy top – I can’t think of anything better to eat on a Monday night. If you live alone, or like me with a small child, you can make a mini version using a smaller baking tray.
[Photography: Elena Heatherwick - Food stylist: Olia Hercules - Book credit: Kaukasis: The Cookbook by Olia Hercules was published by Mitchell Beazley on August 10, 2017, £25 (www.octopusbooks.co.uk)]
Ingredients
Method
Mix the yogurt, garlic, saffron, cayenne, and barberries together, then add the chicken, spring onions and herbs. Season well with salt and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Grease a shallow 15 x 20cm (6 x 8 inch) baking dish with some of the melted butter.
Place one layer of lavash in the dish, brush with melted butter then spread over the filling. Cover with another layer of lavash (tear it to fit). Brush with melted butter and sprinkle over the seeds.
Bake for 15 minutes until heated through, the top is golden and the seeds are toasted.
Tip: This is a perfect way in which to use up leftover cooked chicken. But it is also a great way to use up stale flatbreads; because you cover them with butter and the filling is so moist, the flatbreads revive beautifully in the oven.
In these challenging times…
…the hospitality landscape has dramatically changed in the last two months, and with that our advertising revenues have all but expired, significantly impacting our business. Despite having to furlough a large portion of our staff, we are still delivering the valuable content and honest information, which hundreds of thousands of you come to The Staff Canteen for. We believe we have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs, are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector.
Your financial support means we remain independent and open to all. We were launched by a chef and remain the voice of chefs and other hospitality professionals.
We need your support to keep delivering the products and content that you love, giving you the platform to share opinions and inspiration. Every contribution whether big or small,
means so much.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you
