Festive Pie
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 500g good sausage meat
- zest of 1 lemon, grated
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 85g dried apricots, chopped
- 50g chopped chestnuts
- 2 tbsp thyme
- 100g cranberries
- 500g chicken breast
- 300g shortcrust pastry
- 200g puff pastry
- 1 egg
Method
- Heat oven to 180C/Gas 4.
- Heat half the oil and half the butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan.
- Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Cool slightly.
- Mix together the sausage meat, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, apricots, chestnuts and thyme in a bowl.
- Add the onions and cranberries, mix and season.
- Cut each chicken breast lengthways into three strips and season well.
- Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan and brown the chicken fillets.
- Roll out the shortcrust pastry to line a 20-24cm deep, loose-based tart tin.
- Press in half the sausage mix and level.
- Add the chicken pieces in one layer and cover with the rest of the sausage mix.
- Press down lightly to reduce any air pockets.
- Roll out the puff pastry, brush the edges with beaten egg and cover the dish to form a lid. Pinch in the edges to seal and trim.
- Brush the top of the pie with egg wash.
- Make holly leaves out of the leftover pastry, place on top and re-brush with egg.
- Pierce the lid in a couple of places with a sharp knife to let any steam out.
- Place the tin on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour until the pastry is golden.
- Cool for about 15 mins before removing from the tin.
- Serve cold with winter salad and pickles.
