Pastei, a Surinamese Chicken Pie That Reminds Me of Home

Pastei is a savoury chicken pie from my home country, Suriname. It’s one of the most famous dishes in Surinamese Creole cuisine, and is often eaten at celebrations. Most bakeries also sell individual size pasteitjes, which are great for a snack or a quick lunch.

The hearty filling of chicken, vegetables, and assorted pickles encased in a flaky crust makes for a deeply comforting dish. It’s perfect for a chilly day, though as anyone from a tropical country like Suriname will tell you, it’s delicious in warm weather too! After all, there are no chilly days near the equator!

You might notice two curious ingredients in this recipe: margarine and Maggi® chicken bouillon cubes.

Butter-flavoured margarine is an extremely common ingredient in Surinamese cooking, so for the most authentic flavour, use margarine. I prefer I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! ® brand here in the US. If using margarine, make sure you’re using the margarine in a tub, and not the stick margarine. Also make sure that you’re not using a “reduced fat” variety, since the smoke point of these is too low for cooking. Understandably, many people are hesitant to cook with margarine. In that case, you can substitute a neutral vegetable oil (like canola), or use vegetable oil with a little bit of butter.

Maggi® chicken bouillon cubes are another extremely common ingredient in Surinamese cooking. In the US, it’s often sold in supermarkets that cater to the Latino and Caribbean communities. If using, make sure to buy the “hard” variety. Something else to keep in mind is that Maggi® recipes differ slightly by region, so if you use Maggi® cubes made for the African market you may end up with a slightly different flavour than if you use Maggi® cubes made for the Latin American and Caribbean region. You could substitute regular salt for the Maggi®, but you would lose some authenticity.

Pastei (Surinamese Chicken Pie)

The Kitchen in 6L

A hearty chicken pie from my home country, Suriname

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Lunch, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Surinamese

Servings 6

Calories 622 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pastry:

• 350 grams plain flour
• 175 grams cold unsalted butter cubed
• Pinch of salt
• 4-5 tablespoons ice-cold water

For the filling:

• 300 grams chicken breast or thigh filet
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 (14 ounce) cans peas and carrots drained
• Small handful cocktail onions (about ¼ cup), drained and chopped
• Small handful cornichons (about ¼ cup), drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons margarine preferably I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® brand (see notes)
• Maggi® chicken bouillon cubes to taste (see notes)
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 hardboiled eggs sliced
• 1 egg beaten with water to make an egg wash

Instructions

 

Make the pastry:

• Combine the flour and a good pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until it has the consistency of sand.
• Add the water and briefly knead the dough by hand until it comes together. If the dough looks too dry, carefully add a little more water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the filling:

• Season the chicken with the crumbled Maggi® chicken bouillon cube and some black pepper.
• Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of margarine. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add a splash of water, cover the pot, and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Set the cooked chicken aside to cool slightly before shredding.
• Wipe off the pot if necessary, then reheat over medium-high heat and add another tablespoon of margarine. Add the onions and garlic, cooking until softened. Stir in the tomato paste, taking care to mix well.
• Add the peas and carrots, cocktail onions, cornichons, and capers. Season with the crumbled Maggi® chicken bouillon cube and some black pepper. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and mix everything well. Turn off the heat, and set the filling aside to cool.

Assemble the pastei:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and grease a 10 x 7-inch roasting tin.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pastry into a large rectangle (large enough to line the bottom and sides of the roasting tin) about 5mm (¼inch) thick. Ease the dough into the roasting tin, trim the edges, and prick the bottom with a fork.
• Add the filling to the prepared tin and lay the sliced eggs over the top. Roll out the rest of the pastry and lay it over the top. Tuck the edges under themselves and crimp with a fork. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash, and cut a couple of slits in the top of the pastei for steam to escape.
• Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pastei is golden brown. Let cool for about 30 minutes. Serve with rice and sautéed vegetables (I like string beans) or by itself.

Notes

1. Butter-flavoured margarine is very common in Surinamese cooking. Always use margarine in a tub (not stick margarine), and never use “reduced fat” margarine. I prefer I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! ® brand here in the US. Feel free to substitute neutral vegetable oils, or a mixture of vegetable oil and butter if you don’t want to use margarine.
2. Maggi® chicken bouillon cubes are another ingredient that are almost unmissable in Surinamese cooking. In the US, you can often find them in supermarkets that cater to the Latino and Caribbean communities. Maggi® recipes differ slightly by region, so if you use Maggi® cubes made for the African market you may end up with a slightly different flavour than if you use Maggi® cubes made for the Latin American and Caribbean region. If using, make sure to buy the “hard” variety. If you don’t want to use Maggi® cubes, you can simply substitute salt.

Keyword chicken pie, pastei, suriname, surinamese