Chicken and blue cheese gratin
A layered bake of sliced potatoes, celeriac and leeks with chicken, topped with cheese, makes a perfect dish for an autumn day. Serve with a tomato and green bean salad and some chunks of crusty bread.
750 grams (1 1⁄2 lb) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
300 grams (10 oz) celeriac, peeled and thinly sliced
350 grams (12 oz) leeks, trimmed and sliced
250 grams (1⁄2 lb) skinless boneless chicken breast, cut widthwise into thin strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup diluted salt-reduced or homemade chicken stock, hot
75 grams (2 2⁄3 oz) firm blue cheese, crumbled
30 grams (1 oz) butter, cut into small pieces
1.Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the potatoes and celeriac in a pot of lightly salted water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Remove the lid and simmer for 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Remove from the heat and drain well.
2.Neatly spread about one-third of the potato and celeriac slices over the bottom of a 2 litre baking dish, overlapping the slices. Scatter about half the leeks, chicken strips and thyme over the vegetable layer. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
3.Continue layering the potatoes and celeriac with the remaining leeks, chicken and thyme. Finish with a layer of the remaining potatoes and celeriac.
4.Pour over the stock, then scatter the crumbled cheese and butter over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.5Remove the foil from the dish and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden and bubbling.
Variation• In place of the chicken you could use the same amount of shredded sliced ham, or a mixture of ham and chicken.
Serves 4
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 45 minutes
Each serving
24.5 g protein • 14 g fat of which 7.5 g saturates • 30 g carbohydrate • 8 g fibre • 353 Calories
