Potato-crust Italian chicken pie
Using grated potato rather than pastry keeps the SmartPoints nice and low in this tasty, warming pie
Serves 6
Cook time 1 hour
Prep time 25 minutes
SmartPoints 5 per serving
INGREDIENTS
| 750g Maris Piper potatoes |
| Calorie controlled cooking spray |
| 2 egg yolks |
| 1 onion, diced |
| 2 garlic cloves, crushed |
| 2 x 165g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm strips |
| 1 aubergine, cut into 2-3cm cubes |
| 250g roasted red peppers in brine, rinsed and chopped |
| 400g tin chopped tomatoes |
| 1 tbsp tomato purée |
| 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs |
| 1 courgette, cut into thick ribbons |
| 15g grated parmesan |
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6. Grate the potatoes using the coarse side of a box grater, then transfer to a sieve set over a bowl. Leave to stand for 10 minutes to drain some of the moisture.
2 Meanwhile, mist a 20cm springform cake tin with cooking spray and line the base and side with baking paper. Tip the grated potatoes onto a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess moisture. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the egg yolks, then tip into the prepared cake tin.
3 Using your fingers, work the potato mixture around the tin, until it comes about 5cm up the side and evenly covers the base (it should be fairly thick, with no gaps, so that it will hold the filling). Bake for 35-40 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, mist a large heavy-based frying pan with cooking spray and put over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Stir in the chicken, aubergine, peppers, tomatoes, tomato purée and herbs. Add a splash of water, and then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken and aubergines are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
5 Fill the cooked potato crust with the chicken mixture, then cover with the courgette strips to create a lattice effect. Mist the top of the pie with cooking spray and sprinkle over the grated parmesan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the parmesan has melted and is beginning to brown.
6 Let the pie cool slightly before cutting into thick wedges and serving with a green salad.