Plans with pumpkin

From savoury to sweet, pumpkin and butternut in all their guises are oh so versatile. These dishes are perfect for your autumn table.

- JOHANÉ NEILSON

Chicken and mushroom pie with pumpkin

Makes 1 pie

Preparation time 1 hour

Baking time 35minutes

Here’s how 

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the butternut slices, and add the thyme, salt and pepper. Spread the slices out on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until caramelised and cooked.

2 Put the flour and salt in a big mixing bowl and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and knead until a dough forms. Put the dough on a sheet of baking paper and mould it into a flat disc. Fold the baking paper over the dough and let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling. 

3 Heat a pan, add the rest of the oil and fry the chicken over high heat until golden brown. Remove the meat and fry the mushrooms in the same oil until golden brown and cooked. Stir in the garlic during the last minute and then add the mushrooms to the chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool down a little.

4 Remove the dough from the fridge, fold open the baking paper and use a rolling pin to flatten the disc into a circle of about 30cm in diameter. (Dust the rolling pin with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to it.)