Gluten free the way to be

Her pub, the Shoulder of Mutton, in Kirkby Overblow, now offers customers with coeliac disease – an intolerance to wheat, barley, oats and rye – the chance to choose from their own dedicated menu that includes a wide range of gluten-free starters, mains and desserts including everything from Yorkshire puddings and gravy to gluten-free biscuits for cheese.

“People shouldn’t have to compromise any part of the meal because they have the disease,” says owner Kate.

“Our gluten-free food has proved so popular, even people who don’t suffer from the disease can’t tell the difference and ask for some of the gluten-free meals!”

Kate, who was diagnosed with the disease 16 years ago, established the menu following her own struggle to eat out.

Their commitment to gluten-free food was strengthened further when husband and chef David found out that his mum had the disease – just six months after Kate.

“When I was diagnosed after the birth of my first child, eating out became very hard.

“I spoke to pub and restaurant staff but they often didn’t know what I meant and I’d end up with a dish that may have been contaminated with gluten,” says Kate, who is on the Harrogate and Ripon committee of Coeliac UK.

“It was a no-brainer for us to make as many of our pub dishes gluten-free, and people cannot believe how much there is to choose from.”

The range of starters, mains and desserts – such as homemade chicken liver pate with onion marmalade and toast, braised shoulder of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and chicken kohlpari biryani with poppadums – are those that you might find on any menu but the twist is they’ve all be carefully created to be free from gluten and made in a kitchen that has strict anti cross-contamination practices.

“Desserts have always been a big problem for me,” says Kate.

“Even if a venue has one or two mains they never have desserts, or, if they do, 
it’s always the same-old 
fruit salad and a crème 
brûlée.

“But here, we offer five desserts – which we source from Gluten Free Kitchen in Leyburn – that include luxury bread and butter pudding, fruit crumble and even Bakewell Tart!”

Coeliac UK research suggests that as many as one in 100 people have coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) in the UK, with more than 7,000 people diagnosed each year.

Gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye, triggers an immune reaction, which can damage the lining of the small intestine and other parts of the body.

“It’s a recognised condition, not a health choice, and people who suffer from it can be very poorly if they eat anything that contains gluten,” says Kate.

“It’s obviously much harder to make sure we keep everything separate in the kitchen but it’s worth it, and David is quite used to this challenge having both his mum and his wife suffering from the disease.”

The Shoulder of Mutton’s gluten free menu is available Tuesday to Saturday noon-2pm and 6pm-9pm. To see the menu or for more information log on to shoulderofmuttonharrogate.co.uk or call Kate on 01423 871205.

Gluten-free Braised Shoulder of Yorkshire Lamb and Dauphinoise Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 kg lamb shoulder boned, trimmed and scored

1 pint lamb stock

1 carrot peeled and finely diced

1 onion finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, seasoning

Redcurrant and mint jelly 1 teaspoon of each

Gluten-free cornflour to thicken

Drizzle of olive oil

For the Dauphinoise Potatoes

4 large maris piper potatoes washed and cut into quarters

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

1 pint double cream , pinch of nutmeg and seasoning

100g grated cheddar cheese

Method

Thinly slice the potatoes into a pan.

Add the cream and seasoning and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.

Turn the potatoes into an oven proof dish and bake for 40 minutes at 180C until just cooked, top with the cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Gluten-free Yorkshire Puddings

Ingredients

2oz gluten-free cornflour

2oz gluten-free plain flour

3 medium eggs

200ml milk

1 pinch salt

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180c.

Put a small amount of oil into each well of a Yorkshire pudding tin and place in the oven to heat up. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Once the tin is hot, carefully remove from the oven and evenly distribute the batter mixture into each well, over the hot oil. The mixture will make 12 large or 24 small puddings. Cook for 35 minutes.

Gluten-free lemon drizzle cake

Ingredients

4 medium eggs

200g caster sugar

Zest of 3 medium lemons

2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

175g ground almonds

250g cold mashed potato

For the drizzle

4tbsp granulated sugar + juice of 1 lemon

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C .

Grease and line a deep, 20cm round cake tin.

Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, and then add the eggs one at a time.

Fold in the almonds, cold mashed potato, lemon zest and baking powder.

Pour the mixture into the tin, bake for 40-45mins or until golden. Test by placing a skewer into the cake till it comes out clean.

After 10 minutes turn the cake onto a cooling rack.

Mix the sugar and lemon and spoon over the top 
of the cake.

Let the cake cool completely before slicing.