He challenges everything you thought you knew about a gluten-free diet providing you with lots of alternatives.
You will love the recipes opposite: chicken and chorizo pie, a guaranteed instant family classic, and the chocolate mousse tart for those with a sweet tooth. Enjoy!
Chicken & chorizo pie
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium leeks, finely chopped
12 medium chicken thighs, bone in
2 x 10g gluten-free (GF) chicken stock cubes
4 tbsp cornflour or arrowroot
150g frozen peas
150g cooking chorizo or cooked ham, cubed
200g tin sweetcorn, drained
Salt and ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
For the gluten-free (GF) shortcrust pastry:
250g GF flour mix (175g GF fine white rice flour, 50g GF potato flour, 25g GF tapioca flour/starch)
2 pinches of salt
1 level tsp xanthan gum
120g dairy-free baking margarine, cut into rough pieces
1 medium egg, beaten
SERVES: 4-6 PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 50 MINUTES
Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F/Gas Mark 6.
Place the onion, garlic, leeks, chicken and stock cubes in a pan. Just cover with cold water and bring to the boil on a high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked but not falling off the bone.
Lift the chicken from the pan and boil the stock for 5 minutes until it has reduced.
Meanwhile, remove and discard the chicken skin then pull the meat from the bone. Roughly chop the chicken and add it to the stock. Remove from the heat, mix well and simmer.
Mix the cornflour with 4 tablespoons of cold water and gently pour into the pan to thicken the stock.
Add the peas, chorizo and sweetcorn and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a 26cm by 19cm rectangular dish. Cool and chill.
To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and xanthan gum in a bowl and mix well. Rub in the margarine so the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and a little cold water and mix well. You may need a little more water so the pastry is soft. It’s now ready to roll. Roll the dough to the size and shape of the dish.
Trim the edges and retain the trimmings. Brush the rim of the dish with the egg and lay the pastry trimmings around the edge. Press gently, then brush with egg.
Carefully lay the pastry lid over the dish, pressing it into the trimmings to seal. Pinch the edges with your fingers. Brush with egg and make two or three slits in the top to let out steam. Bake for 35-40 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Chocolate mousse tart
150g gluten-free (GF) bitter chocolate
150g GF milk chocolate
2 medium eggs, plus 2 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
60g caster sugar
130g salted butter, melted
1 23x3cm deep blind baked tart case using the chocolate pastry
Icing sugar, to dust
For the chocolate shortcrust pastry:
120g GF white and brown rice flour blend (40g GF mixed white and brown rice flour; 40g potato starch; 40g GF tapioca flour/starch, all mixed)
25g cocoa powder
¼ level tsp xanthan gum
25g icing sugar
75g cold butter/dairy free baking margarine, cut into rough pieces
1 small egg, beaten
Fresh raspberry sauce:
225g fresh or frozen raspberries
100g caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
SERVES: 8-10 PREPARATION: 25 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES
Preheat the oven to 220°C /428°F/Gas Mark 7.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. The base of the bowl must not touch the water. Break both types of chocolate into the bowl and melt together.
Place the eggs, yolks and sugar in to a separate bowl and whisk at high speed until very thick – this should take 6-8 minutes.
Carefully stir in the melted chocolate, taking care not to knock too much air from the eggs. Finally, fold in the melted butter, again very carefully. It may seem as though it isn’t folding in, but be patient.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 8 minutes until it is just set – don’t let the edges of the tart start to rise. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Dust the tart heavily with icing sugar. Serve at room temperature, sliced into wedges and with a little fresh raspberry sauce on the side.
To make the chocolate shortcrust pastry, sift the flour, cocoa powder, xanthan gum and icing sugar and tip it into a food processor with the butter or margarine. Pulse until you have a fine crumb texture.
Add the egg and pulse until the mixture just starts to hold together in small clumps. For the lightest pastry, you are aiming for a soft dough that holds together well but is not wet.
Tip out the dough, bring it together with your hands and then flatten it into a disc. Wrap in cling film and chill for about 20 minutes until firm but not hard. It’s now ready to roll.
To make the raspberry sauce, place the raspberries in a blender along with the sugar and lemon juice, and blend until smooth. You may need to add a touch of cold water if the sauce is too thick. Pass through a fine sieve. Keep refrigerated for up to three days.
Recipes taken from Essential Gluten Free by Phil Vickery (£19.99, Kyle Books), photography by Kate Whitaker.
To order your copy, call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310, send a cheque or postal order made payable to The Express Bookshop to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4WJ, or order online at expressbookshop.com.
