Rappie Pie
Rappie pie is Canadian east coast comfort food at its best.
Rappie pie (a.k.a. rapure pie or râpure) is a traditional dish from Canada's east coast. It combines grated potatoes with onion and chicken in a lovely casserole that is filling and tastes great.
While the ingredients are simple, it does take a bit of effort to wring the excess liquid from the grated potatoes. A nut milk bag and a lot of elbow grease will work, but if you want to save a lot of effort, have a juicer on hand. Running the potatoes through a juicer then using the remaining pulp for this recipe is far faster even with the added clean up of the juicer.
Though not usually added, I will often include vegetables in this dish. Some of my favourites are grated carrot, green peas, corn, small broccoli florets, etc. With the potato I will also sometimes add grated turnip as a yummy addition. However you choose to prepare rappie pie, it's sure to become family favourite.
Ingredients
(Makes 8 servings)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
8 cups chicken stock
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
8 large potatoes, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
calorie-free cooking spray
Directions
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. Once the oil and butter are heated, add the onion and sauté until the onion begins to soften and become translucent (about 4 to 5 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the onion until it caramelizes (about 45 minutes). Stir often to avoid uneven cooking. While the onions caramelize, begin preparing the chicken.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the chicken thighs, bring back to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the chicken at a simmer, uncovered, until the meat is heated through (about 15 to 20 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a bowl and reserve the chicken stock. Using two forks, pull the chicken meat apart into pieces. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C and prepare a deep, 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish by spraying with cooking spray or lightly greasing with oil.
As the oven heats, grate the potatoes. Using a nut milk bag (or juicer) wring out as much water from the grated potatoes as possible. Discard the water and transfer the potato into a clean bowl. Add the salt and ground black pepper, as well as about 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Stir well.
Transfer half of the potato mixture into the casserole dish and spread evenly across the bottom. Add the caramelized onion in a layer on top of the potato, followed by a layer of chicken. Spread the remaining potato mixture on top and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and a little crispy.
Reheat the remaining chicken stock and serve it on the side for drizzling. Enjoy!
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 291 | total fat = 7.49g | saturated fat = 1.99g | cholesterol = 92.5mg | sodium = 1,203.5mg | net carbohydrates = 36.38g | dietary fibre = 0.52g | sugars = 3.86g | protein = 20.4g
