Game, Set and Match to Holland's

• Wimbledon
• Pies

Together we have created Chicken in a Creamy Champagne sauce and for dessert Pimms soaked Strawberries topped with Cream, both encased in Holland’s unique pastry.

Said Tom: “Wimbledon must be the most quintessential of English occasions and no Wimbledon is complete without a cool glass of Pimms and a bowl of strawberries and cream. We decided to take that a step further and give it a Lancastrian spin. Not to mention a pie is easier to put in your lunch-box!”

 

Champagne Chicken & Asparagus Pie

Pastry

500g Holland’s Pastry

 

Filling

500g/1lb fresh green or white asparagus

125g / 5 oz button mushroom

300ml/ ½ pint of Good quality Champagne

300g/11oz Free-range chicken breasts fillets, cut into small pieces

3/4 tsp sea salt

3tbsp plain flour

100ml/4fl oz cream

Freshly ground pepper

 

Method

Pastry:

Roll out ¾ of the pastry Line the pie case with the pastry and blind bake at 180c for 15 minutes. Seal the cooked pastry with egg wash and bake for a further minute.

 

 Filling:

Peel the asparagus from the top towards the bottom and cut off the hard bottom (1 inch) and discard. Cut the peeled asparagus into approx. 2 cm pieces. Bring the champagne very slowly to simmer in a saucepan and add asparagus, mushrooms, chicken and salt. Simmer covered, over a low heat for approx. 2 minutes.

Stir together flour and half of the cream in a bowl. Add remaining cream and add this thickening mixture to the asparagus while stirring. Simmer again over a low heat and while stirring for about a minute. Season with freshly ground pepper. Pour the mixture onto the blind baked pastry.

 

Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 6,  200c / 400f

 

Roll out the remaining pastry on a floured surface to make a large round shape (approx. 27 cm). Place the pastry over the filling as a lid and press the edge well. Cut off the surplus pastry and use it as decoration on the lid. Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve with hot buttered Jersey Royal Potatoes.

Pimms Strawberries and cream pie

Ingredients

1 kilo of English strawberries hulled and halved

220ml Pimms

4 sheets of gelatin soaked in ½ pint of cold water

5 tbsp caster sugar

100ml/4fl oz double cream

100ml / 4 fl oz whipped cream/ 3 tbsp Pimms

 

Method

225g Holland’s Pastry:

Roll out the pastry Line the pie case with the pastry and blind bake at 180c for 15 minutes. Seal the cooked pastry with egg wash and bake for a further minute.

 

Filling:

Soak the gelatin in half a pint of cold water and place to one side until required.

Soak the strawberries in the Pimms for 1 hour or over night for a better flavour, Pour the juices into a saucepan and gently bring to the boil add the soaked gelatin and water, 3 tbsp caster sugar, bring to the boil slowly and simmer for 5 minutes, allow to cool. When cool add the ¾ of the strawberries and the double cream. Blend and chill until required. When cold pour the mixture into the pie dish. Whip the cream and Pimms together until thick. Top the pie and sprinkle with the remaining chopped strawberries. Sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar

Chill for at least 4 hours and serve with an Iced glass of Pimms and lemonade.

 

Copyright (c) Tom Bridge 2012

 

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