Chicken Filled Pastry Pockets (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough and Core Ingredients
01 -
Puff pastry squares, trimmed to 5x5 inches (enough for 12-15 servings)
02 -
Soft chicken breast, boiled and thinly pulled apart (12 ounces)
03 -
Rich whole milk or 2% milk (1 cup)
04 -
Big egg, whisked for coating
→ Sauce Foundation
05 -
High-quality unsalted butter (2 tablespoons)
06 -
Plain flour, finely sieved (2 tablespoons)
07 -
Bold Dijon or regular yellow mustard (2 teaspoons)
→ Flavor Enhancers
08 -
Ocean salt (½ teaspoon)
09 -
Coarse black pepper (½ teaspoon)
10 -
Top-notch garlic powder (½ teaspoon)
# Instructions:
01 -
Start by warming butter in a skillet over medium flame. After it melts, add your flour, pepper, and garlic powder. Keep stirring about 75 seconds until it smells good and the flour taste goes away. Then mix in your mustard to finish this tasty base.
02 -
While stirring nonstop, slowly add ¾ cup of warm milk. As it starts to bubble, mix in your pulled chicken and salt. If it looks too sticky, just pour in the rest of the milk until it feels smooth and creamy. Let everything cook together for 1-2 minutes, then taste and tweak the flavors. Take it off the heat and let it sit - it'll get thicker as it cools down.
03 -
Grab your defrosted pastry squares and slice them corner to corner making triangles. Drop a big spoonful of chicken mix on one side of each triangle. Gently fold the empty half over and press the edges closed using a crimper tool or just push down with a fork to make pretty ridges.
04 -
Heat your oven to 375°F with a rack right in the middle. Put your filled pockets on a paper-lined cookie sheet and brush them with beaten egg. If they seem too soft, chill them for 45-60 minutes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until they turn nicely golden. Don't forget: keep that oven door shut for the first 15 minutes while baking.
05 -
Want to make these ahead? Just line up your uncooked pockets on a tray with a bit of space between them and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then pack them in freezer bags. When you're ready to eat, brush with egg and bake straight from frozen for 27-35 minutes at 375°F. Remember to keep that oven door closed for the first 15 minutes.
# Notes:
01 -
These fancy pockets can be jazzed up with your own twists - maybe throw in some cooked mushrooms, browned onions, or even hot peppers instead of some chicken.
02 -
Any extras can be kept in the fridge and warmed up in a 300°F oven or air fryer for 5-8 minutes until they're hot and crunchy again.
03 -
If you're using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, stretch them into 10x10 inch squares and cut into four pieces. You'll want two boxes to make this recipe.