Peppers are plentiful in the supermarkets at the moment and I am preferring this pie to richer versions using mushrooms and marscapone or onions and eggs.
5-6 chicken fillets
500 ml chicken stock
3 mixed peppers
6 plum tomatoes
1 medium sized onion,finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic,crushed
1 tsp sumac
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
olive oil
Small bunch parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5-6 sheets filo pastry
Wash and cut off the stem end of the tomatoes. Place flat side down in a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, cover with a lid and cook gently until the tomato skins are soft and can be lifted off with your fingers. Add the onion and cook with the lid off until the sauce is thick and the onion soft but not coloured. Add the spices, garlic and parsley. Season, taste, and put to one side..
Poach the chicken fillets in the stock until just cooked. Remove (reserving the stock for use in a soup or risotto),and cut into chunks. Add to the tomato sauce.
Cut the tops off the peppers and cut in half. Remove the seeds and any thick fleshy bits. Cut the peppers into thin strips and place in a roasting pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the strips around until they are covered in the oil. Roast for about 20-30 minutes at 190° or until the slices are soft. When cool, add to the other ingredients.
Line a shallow pie dish with layers of filo pastry,placed evenly around the dish with one end just proud of the side of the dish on one side and the other overlapping. Brush each layer with olive oil as you go. Place the pie ingredients into the centre and fold over the long sides of filo pastry, again brushing each with olive oil as it is laid, tucking in any shorter sides so the pie is sealed and neat. Brush the top well with more olive oil.
Cook in an oven at 190° for 20 minutes,checking to be sure that the pie isn’t becoming brown too quickly. Remove and cut the top into slices, taking care not to cut through to the base of the pie. Reduce the heat of the oven to 180° and cook for a further 30-40 minutes until the pie is richly browned and cooked through.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving with green beans or a salad.