Recipe: Chicken, Black Garlic and Mushroom Freekeh Crumble

Recipe: Chicken, Black Garlic and Mushroom Freekeh Crumble

40m prep | 50m cook

Last updated

Freekeh, a green grain made from young Australian durum wheat that is carefully flame roasted, has a nutty flavour, firm texture and subtle smokiness. It's perfect for soups and salads, but it can be used in oh so many more ways - like this fabulously savoury crumble!

While it would be very easy to cover the umami-rich chicken and mushroom filling with pastry, this textural crumble topping made with freekeh is delightfully unexpected, moreish and so easy to serve heaping spoonfuls to hungry family and friends.

The crumble mix would be amazing sprinkled on top of fish, creamed spinach, roasted root vegetables, beef or lamb pies too.

Ingredients (Serves 4: Makes one large or four small pies)

For the filling:

  • 20g Garniture Forestiere (or dried mushrooms of your choice)
  • 700g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size chunks
  • 200g button mushrooms, quartered or sliced
  • 2 large or 3 small black garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 leek, white and pale green part finely sliced
  • 100ml verjuice
  • 10g porcini powder
  • 150ml cream
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
  • Salt and pepper, to season

For the crumble topping:

  • 100g plain flour
  • 125g cold butter, cubed
  • 150g cracked freekeh
  • 10g porcini powder
  • 75g Grana Padano or Pecorino cheese, finely grated

    Place the freekeh and 6 cups of water into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then cover and cook for 40 minutes or until tender. Drain water and transfer cooked freekeh to a large sheet pan, spreading out evenly and allowing to cool completely.

    Place dried mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with warm water (about one cup) and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Pick the mushrooms out of the water, pat dry and then carefully strain the liquid to remove any grit. This remaining mushroom stock will taste intensely of mushrooms. Put aside for later.

    Make crumble topping by combining the butter and flour in a bowl, rubbing them between your fingers until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add cooled freekeh, porcini powder and grated cheese, mixing well with your hands. Set aside in fridge.

    Preheat oven to 200C. Have a rectangular pie dish (approx. 23cm x 15cm), large casserole or individual pie tins or ramekins at the ready.

    Panfry chicken thigh pieces in olive oil over medium high heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add fresh mushrooms to pan juices and fry until golden. Remove and set aside with chicken. Place black garlic and leeks in the pan with a little more olive oil if necessary and cook until the leeks are translucent. Add the rehydrated mushrooms, porcini powder and cooked chicken and mushroom mix to the pan. Increase the heat and add verjuice. Cook for 2 minutes then add reserved mushroom stock and simmer until reduced. Add cream, reduce further if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and spoon into pie tin(s).

    Top the chicken and mushroom filling with a good thick layer of crumble. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving with green salad dressed with verjuice and extra virgin olive oil.

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