Christmas pie

600 kcal or less apricot apricots breadcrumb breadcrumbs chestnut chestnuts chicken breast chicken breasts christmas christmas-kitchen cranberries cranberry entertaining festive lemon lemons mains onion onions over an hour pastries pastry pie sausagemeat thyme winter

N/A

Cuts into 10-12 slices

Source

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

knob butter

1 onion, finely chopped

500g sausagemeat or skinned sausages

grated zest of 1 lemon

100g fresh white breadcrumbs

85g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped

50g chestnut, canned or vacuum-packed, chopped

2 tsp chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme

100g cranberries, fresh or frozen

500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts

500g pack ready-made shortcrust pastry

beaten egg, to glaze

Method

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp oil and the butter in a frying pan, then add the onion and fry for 5 mins until softened. Cool slightly. Tip the sausagemeat, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, apricots, chestnuts and thyme into a bowl. Add the onion and cranberries, and mix everything together with your hands, adding plenty of pepper and a little salt.

Cut each chicken breast into three fillets lengthwise and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, and fry the chicken fillets quickly until browned, about 6-8 mins.

Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to line a 20-23cm springform or deep loose-based tart tin. Press in half the sausage mix and spread to level. Then add the chicken pieces in one layer and cover with the rest of the sausage. Press down lightly.

Roll out the remaining pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and cover with the pastry lid. Pinch the edges to seal, then trim. Brush the top of the pie with egg, then roll out the trimmings to make holly leaf shapes and berries. Decorate the pie and brush again with egg.

Set the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 mins, then cool in the tin for 15 mins. Remove and leave to cool completely. Serve with a winter salad and pickles.