- 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.
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