Crossed Grain

28 WWW.COELIAC.ORG.UK CHICKEN PIE WITH CHESTNUTS AND BACON I love making this large, deep pie during autumn, but what I really enjoy is being able to serve a gluten free pie without my guests knowing! I serve this with creamy mash and broccoli for an ideal dinner. Serves 8–10 Ingredients • 2 medium onions, chopped • 1 leek, chopped • 250g (9oz) smoked lardons • 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite sized chunks • 1 tsp dried sage • 500ml (18 fl oz) gluten free chicken stock* • 150g (5oz) vacuum packed chestnuts, chopped • 2 tbsp cornflour • 250ml (9 fl oz) double cream • 1kg gluten free shortcrust pastry* (see page 194 of Hassle Free, Gluten Free ) • 1 egg, separated • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper You will need A 24cm spring form tin Method 1 Gently fry the onion, leek and lardons in a frying pan for about 5 minutes until the onion and leek are softened. Add the chicken and sage to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes until browned. Add the chicken stock and chopped chestnuts and bring to the boil, then simmer for a further 7–8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through but still soft and juicy 2 Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to a smooth paste (the consistency of double cream) and stir into the chicken mixture until thickened. Do this slowly so there are no lumps. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside to cool 3 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Roll out two thirds of the pastry to a circle the thickness of a 10-pence piece, ensuring it’s big enough to cover the base and sides of the tin 4 Line the base and sides of the tin with the rolled out pastry. Gluten free pastry is softer than regular pastry, so can be a little fiddly to work with; please keep some offcuts in case you need to patch bits. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then blind bake for about 15–20 minutes, until the base is crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then remove the baking beans and paper 5 Take a small piece of the remaining pastry and roll it into a thin sausage shape, then lay this around the top edge of the blind-baked pastry base, using a little egg white to stick it down 6 Fill the case with the chicken and chestnut filling, using a slotted spoon and a little of the sauce to keep it moist. Reserve the rest of the sauce to use as gravy when you serve the dish 7 Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid and place over the pie, fluting the edges. Egg wash using the egg yolk. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top, but note that it will never be as golden as non-gluten free pastry so don’t overcook it. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then remove from the tin and serve with the reserved gravy. *Check our Food and Drink Information for suitable products