One of a Kind – Tall Chicken or Turkey Pie

My friend Victoria (remember her?) knows I am always on the lookout for great recipes to share with you. Not that I don’t have enough recipes in the house (this reminds me I have to organize them nicely – currently they live in a state of total mess) but I want unusual recipes and these kinds do not come by very often. So, one day Victoria called and said she had received a very unusual (key word!) recipe from her niece in Ukraine and that she thought it could be just right to feed my insatiable hunger for recipes. I grew impatient and wanted to get my hands on the recipe as soon as possible. Victoria added that it was a pie but not your regular pie, that it was one of a kind pie, and that she had already made it once, and that it was absolutely mind-blowing and palate-blowing, and that she had never seen anything like that before, and that it tasted like nothing else out there, and that the recipe was not known to many, and that if I wanted we could make it together.

“What? Really? Wait, we are coming.” The kids and I piled into the car right away and  off we drove to Victoria’s house which, luckily, is only 5 minutes from us. The “cooks” got down to business as soon as we arrived. While kids we going crazy in the background, Victoria and I baked 2 thin cheesy layers that we cut in half and filled with generous amounts of ground turkey (you can also use ground chicken – in fact, the original recipe calls for chicken)  then off we sent the assembled pie into the oven.

Then we waited impatiently chatting away until the pie came out of the oven. Wow and Holy Pie! Let me tell you guys, this was indeed the most unusual pie I had ever seen or tasted before!  It was tall and gorgeous. And delicious. Try it. It is worth it. Absolutely worth it.

Thank you Victoria for this one of a kind recipe and for letting me “borrow” your hands for the photo shoot.


Tall Chicken or Turkey Pie

Serves about 10

For the Cheese Layers
5 eggs
3 tablespoonfuls mayonnaise
3 tablespoonfuls semolina flour or all-purpose flour
14 ounces (400 gr) grated hard cheese (you can  use a mixture of cheddar, mozzarella and any other hard cheese you like or a combination, but make sure there is at least one type of yellow cheese)

For the Filling
2 pounds (1 kg) ground chicken or turkey
6 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh dill, to taste (optional; if using, do not overdo – add just a little to add some flavor)

Method

Line two 13 X 11-inch (33 x 28-cm) baking sheets with parchment (baking paper).

Preheat the oven to 355F (180C).

Now, prepare the batter for the cheese layers. Using  a hand mixer or a balloon whisk, beat the eggs until well blended. Add the  mayonnaise, semolina flour or all-purpose flour, and cheese. Stir until well blended (see picture below for consistency).

Divide the mixture in half and pour onto the prepared baking sheets. Level with a spoon.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven until light golden and is just browning around the edges. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool slightly.

Cut each layer into half crosswise, to obtain 4 layers in total. Gently peel off the layers from the parchment paper.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Remove from the heat and let cool. Place the ground chicken/turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, salt, pepper and if using, chopped dill. Knead with your hand until well blended. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 320F (160C).

Now, assemble the pie. Cut out large pieces of foil paper and arrange them on a baking sheet in a crossing manner, so that the foil paper covers the entire bottom of the pan and is extending outside, like in the picture. You will  wrap the assembled pie around the foil paper, so make sure its sides are long enough.

Place one cheese layer on the middle of the foil paper. Spread 1/3 of the filling on top.

Cover with another cheese layer, then follow with another 1/3 of the filling.

Continue with the remaining cheese layer and the filling.

Place the last cheese layer on top.

Bring the sides of the foil paper over the pie and wrap them around it. Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Leave the pie to rest still wrapped in the foil for 10-15 minutes. Open the foil. Transfer the pie to a serving place. Cut and serve.

26 Comments

Leave a Reply

  1. This looks very interesting and unique, I would love to give it a try, although it seems very big. What would be the best way to make half of this? With only 2 layers or 4 smaller ones?

  2. Looks really good and very innovative.I’ll try it but with small quantity.

  3. Feride xanim salam.Bu resept cox gozel gorunur.Tesekkurler.Bunun azerbaycanca hazirlanma qaydasini tezlikle yaza bilersinizmi,gelen hefteye qonaqligimiz var,o qonaqliq ucun hazirlamaq isteyirem.

  4. That does indeed look very interesting and delicious!

  5. ALLA – it it only tall and is not very big. You can make with 4 smaller layers, but really the layers are tiny as is.

    Thank you Suparna Deb, At Anna’s Table. Enjoy!

  6. Oh this looks SO good! AND unusual =) in a good way of course. I love unique and interesting recipes, I feel like the world doesn’t have enough of them out there! Please keep on sharing! Your pie looks absolutely amazing and delicious!

  7. This looks yummy! I’ve gotta try it!

  8. I have to add this to my huge collection (luckily it’s stored online). It definitely looks worth the work. My son does not like lasagna because the layers slip apart and there are too many different flavors, but I bet he’ll love this!

    Thanks for sharing. : )

  9. This is amazing!Thanks for the fabulous recipe and the lovely photos(I’m drooling already)!

    You have a cool and beautiful place out here with a whole gamut of recipes..how I wish I could grab a bite;)

    Do drop into my place sometime – I have this event going on at my place which revolves round bread.Do take a peek and link up if you so wish:)

    Cheers!
    Wit,wok&wisdom

  10. congrats on your top 9!

  11. looks delicious lovely flavours
    congrats on the top 9

  12. I am so going to try making this! You are the best and thanks to your friend too!

  13. Hello.
    I’m from Iran
    Thank you good training.

  14. It’s so amazing!!! I like it!!

  15. Can I use JUST mozarella cheese?

    Looks gorgeous, as all your dishes

  16. ZAR?NA – You can use mozzarella only but it won’t give you the color you want. Cheddar or any other yellow cheese would be good. Mix it with mozzarella.

  17. I usually crave for new and out of the ordinary recipes to surprise my eaters at home, and I think this is one of these recipes. I’m gonna make it, sure!

    Cheers!

  18. This really is original! Looks like a lot of fun to make too. Love it!

  19. Thanks for the recipe. I tried it today and my Middle Eastern taste buds found this to be lacking in spices. I am not sure if it’s because I am used to having spices in the food, or it really does need spices. So I would make this again but I would also add some nutmeg and dried thyme 🙂

  20. BALSAM – Let me know how it turns out with spices.

  21. Hi Feride,

    I tried this today with the thyme and nutmeg and it was very well appreciated. It makes a very filling and delicious lunch with some salad. Thanks 🙂 Gehan

  22. ellerine saglik.

  23. I made this food yesterday and It was absolutely fabulous. I added a very small pinch of powdered saffron both to chicken and egg mixture which covers up any chicken or egg smell. also I added two dried sage leaves and some dried dills and paprika to chicken. it was tasting just right. thank you Faride. we loved it. wish I could load its photo.

  24. Hi Farida.this pie looks absolutely amazing. question for you please! do yo uthink i can substitute chicken with ground beef? thanks a lot

  25. NAILA – Beef won’t work, it will release juices, and make a mess.

  26. How about this it’s a yummy casserole I call pasta pie that I leraend on an episode of Martha Stewart years ago. I substitute Jimmy Dean Spicy Sausage in place of the supprasatta sausage in the recipe. Fry it up in a pan and crumble it up before you stir it in.I skip the cake pan and parchment paper and just bake it in a 13 X 9 casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray (you may have too much and need another dish to bake the rest in). Cut in squares and serve with a side salad, if you like.It’s yummy hot comfort food like lasagna .perfect for a chilly Autumn day and a dessert pumpkin pie with coffee!Best of all .your house will smell so yummy!Eleanora’s Spaghetti PieIngredientsServes 10 to 121 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperatureCoarse salt1 pound spaghetti6 large eggs, lightly beaten1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)12 ounces hot soppressata sausage, cut into 1/4-inch dice1 cup (4 ounces) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese1/4 cup heavy cream1 teaspoon dried parsley1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.with rack in center. Butter a 10-inch-by-3-inch cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Cook spaghetti, according to package instructions, until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine eggs, mozzarella, soppressata, pecorino Romano, heavy cream, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Drain spaghetti, and add to the egg-and-cheese mixture; stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake about 40 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until lightly browned and crisp on top, 20 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, and unmold, removing parchment. Invert, cut into wedges, and serve hot. Was this answer helpful?

Leave a Reply