Braided Puff Pastry with Savory Fillings

The intricate look of this braided puff pastry makes it seem more complicated than it is. Flaky buttery puff pastry is always a great favorite, and the braiding is easily achieved by cutting diagonal strips in the pastry and criss-crossing them over your filling, savory or sweet works equally  well. In this recipe, we've included two suggested savory fillings, one with chicken and fresh herbs and the other with spinach and feta cheese.

Ingredients
Puff pastry sheets
1 beaten egg


Filling 1:
300g spinach
100g feta cheese 
1 medium onion
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Filling 2:
1 medium onion
1 chicken breast
1 cup grated cheese
3 tsp fresh or dried rosemary and/or thyme or parsley
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seven spice mix

Slice onion into wings and saute in a bit of butter. Saute the spinach, then combine the two. Add the spices.

Cut the feta cheese in small cubes.

Cut the chicken into small cubes, saute with the onion. Add the spices.

Spread the pastry on a baking sheet.

Cut the sheet in half vertically, and then on each half trace lightly with the knife to create three equal strips. 

Leaving the center for the filling, cut finger-wide slightly diagonal strips on either side, leaving about two fingers at either end.

Spoon the chicken and onion in the center.

Sprinkle parsley or rosemary or thyme, and grated cheese on top.

On the second half of the sheet, spoon the spinach and feta cheese filling onto the middle and again cut the diagonal strips.

Fold over the two ends. Begin braiding the dough by folding over one strip at a time from alternating sides.

 Once you've brought the strip across, press it firmly into the dough on the other side. Brush with the beaten egg.

Place on a greased tray or baking sheet and put in the oven at 250 C until golden brown. 

Leave to cool before cutting into pieces about three fingers wide.