Pie. I love all kinds of pie, but I’ve been looking for a way to make it a little bit healthier. It’s actually a great vehicle for all kinds of vegetables and fillings but the traditional crust doesn’t add a lot of nutritional value! I’ve used a super simple spelt and olive oil pastry here. I find it’s best if you pre cook the crust, it doesn’t rise much so there is no need to weigh it down. You don’t have to pre cook it but it tends to disintegrate a bit if you don’t! This filling is also great with mushrooms instead of potato if you want to cut down on the starch, but I love potatoes and my boyfriend hates mushrooms (he’s pathological about it, crazy man) so this is the version i went with. The kabana sausage is also completely optional, it adds a lovely smoky flavour.

You need to make two quantities of the pastry for this recipe, I haven’t doubled it as I have always made it as two separate batches and don’t know if it would change anything if you threw double quantities in the food processor. This recipe makes two 20cm pies, I freeze one once cooked.

I would make the pastry first then make the filling while you wait for the pastry to rest.

Pastry

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

Salt

2 T olive oil

3 T cold water

You will need to make two quantities for this pie.

1. process flour salt and oil until it resembles fine bread crumbs.

2. With the food processor running add water a little bit at a time until it comes together in a ball.

3. shape into a 1-2 cm thick rectangle, cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30mins.

Filling

2 skinless chicken marylands and 2 chicken breasts (I break down a whole chicken and make bone broth with the rest)

1 tbs rice bran oil

2 small kabana sausages in 1cm dice (about a cup once diced)

300g kipfler potatoes (or similar) cut into 1cm thick similar sized pieces.

3 spring onions finely sliced or 1 leek

2 cloves garlic crushed

3 stalks celery, diced

1.5 cups diced carrot

2 cups spinach

2 tbs fresh thyme

1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley

3T spelt flour

2T butter

1 cup milk

1 cup bone broth

1/2 t mustard

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 egg beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 and grease two 20 cm pie tins.

2. Heat oil on high to medium in a large heavy based fry pan. Add chicken. Cook for approx 8 mins a side until golden and just cooked through.

2. Mean while cook potatoes in salted water until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside.

3. Remove chicken from pa and set aside to cool slightly. Add kabana to pan and cook until starting to colour, remove and set aside.

4. Add carrot, onion, garlic and celery and cook until softened add some bone broth or water if it begins to stick. Once softened remove from heat.

5. Dice chicken into 2-3 cm chunks and add to vegetables along with kabana, potatoes, spinach and thyme.

6. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add flour, whisk and cook for a minute. Add combined milk and bone broth slowly. Whisking continuously, bring to the boil and cook until thickened. You want the sauce to be as thick as

 (which it pretty much is ha) then add mustard, cheese and season.

7. Add sauce to chicken and vegetables and check seasoning.

8. Roll out rested dough to approx 5mm thick and place in tins, trim to fit. Reserve trimmings. Place in oven and cook for 15mins.

9. Remove cooked pie crust, add chicken mix dividing between the two crusts. Use the trimmings to make lids for the pies, rolling pastry to 3mm thick. Fit lids using scraps to decorate. Glaze with an egg wash to make glossy, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place in oven for 25 mins until golden and cooked through.