DETECTIVE WORK IN SOURCING INGREDIENTS IS THE MAIN ISSUE

GLUTEN-FREE

THE

ACCOUNTS assistant Anne McConnell, 58, was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2001.

It’s an auto-immune condition that affects one in 100 people and means she can’t eat food containing gluten.

The main culprit is wheat but there is also gluten in rye, malt and barley.

As wheat is present in just about every processed food, Anne either has to read packets and tins like a detective or make everything she eats from scratch.

She cooks a gluten-free Christmas dinner for her family. That way she can enjoy her meal and be sure it won’t make her ill.

And thanks to careful planning and a bit of supermarket detective work, no one at the table will be able to spot the difference.

Anne said: “I will be cooking for eight, a completely normal turkey dinner.

“The turkey is fine. I’ve still got to get a gluten-free gravy but if I can’t find one, I will have to make it.

“I make my own gluten-free stuffing with pork sausages and gluten-free breadcrumbs, using an adapted Delia Smith recipe.”

The hard bit is sourcing all the ingredients.

Anne explained: “Supermarkets change their stock for Christmas.

“There are things you can normally get, then in December the very thing Chilli con carne with rice; ice cream; anything with the “crossed grain” symbol, which is certified as gluten-free you want, they don’t have. They change their suppliers; they change their packaging. “I have always got to really check and make sure everything is OK. “I always used to get my chipolatas from one store but this year I’ve had a problem sourcing them. Eventually I’ve managed to get some. “I do as much as I can in advance and freeze it so I’m not in a panic.”