The Anonymous Widower

Colcannon Chicken and Apple Pie

I was looking for something a bit different to add to the potato topped pies that I like and keep for suppers by myself in the freezer and I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com. Note that this website marks all recipes as to gluten-free, vegetarian etc.

The ingredients I used for the pie were.

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 450 gram chicken breast fillets cut into chunks 
• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 250 ml. pf chicken stock
• 250 ml. of dry cider – Aspalls of course!
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 2 Cox’s apples, thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• salt and pepper

And for the Colcannon topping I used.

• 700 grams of potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 200 grams of Savoy cabbage, shredded
• 4 tbsp of semi-skimmed goats milk
•  25 gramsbutter
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped.

These quantities make enough for four, so I froze some of it for later.

The method was as follows.

1.  Heat the oil in a large, deep, non-stick frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes or until softened. 
2. Add the chicken to the pan and cook over a moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until it is no longer pink. Stir in the carrots. 
3. Combine the stock, cider, mustard and tarragon, and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the apples and cook, covered, for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken and carrots are tender, and the apples have softened but are still holding their shape. 
4. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Cook the cabbage in a separate pan of boiling water for 4–5 minutes or until just tender but not soft; drain well. 
5. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Add the milk and butter, and mash until smooth. Stir in the cabbage and spring onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm. 
6. Using a draining spoon, transfer the chicken, apples and vegetables to a 1.7 litre (3 pint) ovenproof dish. Set aside.
7. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water, stir into the cooking liquid in the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour over the chicken mixture. 
8. Pile the potato and cabbage topping over the chicken mixture, spreading it evenly to cover. Place in the  top oven of the AGA  and bake until golden brown.

I made a couple of mistakes in that I didn’t make enough topping and the sauce could have done with more thickening.   But it was well worth the ewffort.

August 17, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Food | Chicken, Coeliac/Gluten-Free, Recipe