Baked chicken and spinach pastries: An easy, versatile treat

Puff pastry is a very versatile base for crafting delicious treats. You can find it in almost every store; it doesn't cost much and works well in many different dishes, from sweet turnovers to pizza rolls to casseroles. When I'm unsure what to serve for a quick lunch or warm dinner, I take a roll-out of the fridge and serve it with a spinach filling.

Puff pastry with a savoury filling is a great appetiser idea. It works perfectly at parties, but when taken straight out of the oven and placed on the table, it disappears faster than you might think. Puff pastry offers many possibilities for preparing different fillings, encouraging culinary experiments.

Chicken and spinach are a popular and simply perfect duo. Although such filling may seem bland and tasteless to some, the right spices give it an interesting twist.

Ingredients:

                        
• 40 grams of butter,
• 1 shallot,
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour,
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg,
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano,
• 1 tablespoon of dried basil,
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt,
• 2 garlic cloves,
• 285 millilitres of vegetable broth,
• 1 cooked chicken breast fillet,
• 80 grams of fresh spinach,
• 280 grams of puff pastry,
• 1 egg.

Step 1. Melt the butter in a pan and add finely chopped shallot. Sauté until it turns golden brown. Then add flour and mix to make a roux.

Step 2. Add nutmeg, dried oregano, basil, crushed garlic, and salt to the roux. Mix and pour in the vegetable broth. Cook for a while until the sauce thickens.

Step 3. Add the cooked, chopped chicken breast and chopped spinach leaves to the sauce. Simmer for a while, mixing the pan's contents.

Step 4. Divide the puff pastry in half. Fold one half and cut as shown in the video or photo below.

Step 5. Place the prepared chicken and spinach filling on the other half of the pastry. Cover it with the cut half of the puff pastry and seal the edges with a fork. Then brush with beaten egg and place in the oven preheated to 200°C for about 20 minutes.

Step 6. Cut the baked puff pastry into portions. It tastes best warm. Enjoy!