By: Susan Joy
Pie anyone?? On a cold winters day there’s nothing more satisfying than a warm comforting meal and this pie certainly fits the bill.
My paleo short crust style pastry, covers a tasty filling of chicken and vegetables set in a creamy dairy free sauce, flavoured with a little paprika and thyme. I use cooked chicken in this recipe, perfect for using up leftover roast chicken or chicken from making broth.
This pastry will surprise you how close it is to traditional short crust pastry. You can make it ahead of time and keep it wrapped in the fridge to use later in the day but leaving overnight may cause it to dry out, as it does have some coconut flour in it. This pastry rolls perfectly between 2 sheets of baking paper without splitting but if you have any accidents, no problem, it mends easy by pressing together.
Serves: 4 – 6 | Prep Time: 00:20 | Cooking Time: 00:50
Ingredients
PASTRY:
1 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/3 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarb)
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil
1/3 cup filtered water
Melted ghee, or beaten egg to brush over pastry
PIE FILLING:
1 – 2 Tbsp ghee, or coconut oil for frying
1 med leek, sliced thinly
2 med carrot(s), finely diced
1 med swede(s), finely diced
1 lge celery stick(s), finely diced
3 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup chicken broth/stock
1/2 cup peas, frozen (optional)
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground, or to taste
1 cup coconut cream, thick
350g cooked chicken, diced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 – 1 1/2 Tbsp coconut flour
Directions
To make the pastry: Add the almond meal, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, salt and baking soda to a food processor. Process for 6 seconds to mix the flours. Add the oil and water. Process until the mixture comes together into a soft and pliable dough. Shape into a disc and set aside covered while you prepare the pie filling.
To make the pie filling: Grease a deep pie dish and the rim with macadamia oil or ghee, set aside.
Heat a large (30 – 32cm) frying pan or similar on medium heat. Add ghee, leek, carrot, swede and celery, cook stirring often for 5 minutes, don’t allow to brown. (You can add a sprinkle of salt to the vegetables to release more moisture and prevent browning). Add garlic, paprika, thyme and stir through the vegetables, add extra ghee if needed, cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes.
Add chicken broth to the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add peas, salt, pepper and coconut cream, stir through and bring to a light simmer. Stir through diced cooked chicken and parsley. Lightly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of coconut flour evenly over the chicken and vegetable mixture, making sure there are no lumps. Stir through and allow the sauce to thicken to the consistency you like, add extra flour 1 teaspoon at a time if you require a thicker sauce. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 180c. Spoon the chicken and vegetables into your prepared pie dish.
Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out a circle to approximately 29 – 30cm in diameter. Remove the top layer of paper, place your hand under the bottom sheet, carefully turn over and place the pastry on top of the pie filling without stretching it, then peel off the paper. Use a knife to trim off the overhang. Press the pastry to the rim of the dish.
Use a fork to make several fork holes over the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with melted ghee or beaten egg and place into oven.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and lightly golden. Allow to sit for 5 – 10 minutes before cutting.
Article supplied with thanks to The JOYful Table.
About the Author: Susan is author of The JOYful Table cookbook containing gluten & grain free, and Paleo inspired recipes for good health and well being.