Christmas and Cobbler

It’s Chriiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaas!!!

I’m currently writing whilst in my pyjamas listening to my favourite Christmas playlist. I think it’s safe to say that I am living my best life. The only thing that would make this moment even better is if someone brought me a homemade hot chocolate and put on a cheesy Christmas rom-com (preferably This Christmas so I can drool over Idris Elba). This is by far my favourite time of year and is literally the only reason why I tolerate winter. Otherwise I would slip into a deep slumber come November 1^st and not wake up until the temperatures returned to a steady 16 degrees celsius. I just love the decorations; the time spent with family and of course… the food. I’m the friend that will give you a food based gift regardless of whether you are a foodie or not. I’m also the friend that plans out a cooking schedule for Christmas Day with military precision. I’ll never forgive myself if I ever overcooked the turkey…

Anyways, I spent a lot of this week trying to figure out what I should cook for Christmas dinner this year. There aren’t any die hard traditions in our house when it comes to food except for these three unspoken rules:

1. There must be a roast turkey (obviously)
2. There must be something traditionally Nigerian
3. There must be ‘puff puff’ (less a rule and more of a demand that must be met to prevent me ruining everyone’s Christmas)

My plan this year has been to try and make twists on the classics. I’m almost certain this year’s turkey is taking a trip to southern America with a seasoning of lime, chillies and garlic (or maybe clementine to keep it closer to home). Yorkshire puddings are in; stuffing is out. We don’t eat pork in our house and making a stuffing out of beef or lamb feels a bit pointless. Roast potatoes are getting a visit from some whole spices although I’m not sure yet about which ones. Do we double-carb and have a side of jollof rice as well? I’m also still figuring out what vegetables I want but there has been a request for the dreaded brussel sprout. (Send help.)

Winner winter chicken dinner!

Basically, I have a lot to decide before the big day so I thought I’d make something simple and comforting this week. Considering how horrible the weather has been, I was craving something that would warm my body and soul. My first idea was a meaty pie but I didn’t feel like faffing about with pastry. Then I thought about making chicken soup with dumplings but that didn’t feel hearty enough. It was actually my little brother who mentioned cobbler and it felt like a eureka moment. Cobbler is essentially the best cross over between pastry and dumplings. The top of the dough gets super golden and crispy while the dough beneath soaks up the broth like a sponge. It’s one of the nicest things to have on a cold day and it’s super simple to make. The dough can be made sweet or savoury too so it’s pretty versatile! I’m planning on making a sweet apple cobbler in a few weeks which I can guarantee will taste amazing!

The recipe is below but it’s pretty straightforward and easy to adjust. I really like the use of fresh herbs but dried herbs will work just as well. Let me know if you make the recipe of if you are as Christmas mad as I am!

See you next Sunday

Mary xx

Herby Chicken Cobbler (SERVES 6-8)

Ingredients

For the filling

70g butter

1.2kg chicken thigh fillets, 2cm cubes

1 punnet button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

3 small carrots, finely  chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves

4-5 sprigs of thyme

3tbsp heaped gluten-free self raising flour/plain flour

2 chicken stock cubes

1 tbsp cider vinegar

For the cobbler

300g gluten-free self raising flour

75g butter

2 eggs

160g buttermilk

3tbsp sage, finely chopped

3tbsp tarragon, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten for egg wash

1. To make the filling, melt the butter in a large Dutch pot until foaming. Add the chicken, season with salt and fry until browned all over. Add the remaining vegetables and thyme and fry for a further 3 minutes. Add the flour and fry for another 3 minutes.  Then crumble in the chicken stock cubes and pour in 200 ml boiling water. Stir out any lumps of flour and then add enough boiling water to just cover the mix. Add vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn off and set aside to cool slightly. Season with black pepper to taste.

2. In the meantime, make the cobbler. In a large bowl rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the chopped herbs and mix to combine. Then beat the eggs and buttermilk together in a jug. Pour the egg mixture into the flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Now to assemble the cobbler. If needed, transfer the chicken mixture to an deep oven proof dish. Then, tear golf ball size chunks of the cobbler dough and place on top of the chicken until covered. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cobbler should be golden brown and sound crispy when tapped.

4. Attempt to let cool slightly before serving but I won’t judge if you can’t!