African Chicken Pie

Description

The delicate puff pastry used as the topping on this pie shows the influence of the Dutch on this recipe. This type of pastry was used daily in the average Dutch household. This recipe was used in South Africa.

Ingredients

• 5 lb stewing or roasting hen
• 1 large onion (peeled, quartered)
• 6 whole allspice
• 4 whole cloves
• ¼ tsp mace
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 peppercorns
• ½ lb ham (cubed)
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup white wine
• ¼ cup cream of wheat
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (sliced)
• 1 recipe puff pastry (see below)
• 1 egg - beat with 1 tbsp water and use as coating for pastry

Directions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, place chicken, onion, allspice, cloves, mace, salt and peppercorns.
2. Add 3 cups of water and bring all to a boil.
3. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender - one to two hours.
4. Then place chicken on a platter to cool.
5. Strain out spices and save 3 cups chicken stock.
6. When chicken is cool, debone chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces and throw the skin away.
7. Next, make sauce as follows: add wine to chicken stock, bring to a boil and slowly add cream of wheat.
8. Reduce heat to low, stir constantly until thickens.
9. In a small bowl, mix together egg yolks and lemon juice.
10. Stir 3 to 4 tbsp of sauce into yolks and then add yolk mixture to sauce.
11. Bring to a boil for one minute.
12. Then remove from heat.
13. Place ½ deboned chicken in a baking dish, scatter chopped ham on top, then place a row of egg slices.
14. Redo above and then pour sauce over the two layers.
15. Make top puff pastry as follows: cut ¼ lb sweet butter into two cups of flour until it is the consistency of pie dough.
16. Add 4 to 6 tbsp water and knead into a ball.
17. flour a board and roll out with a floured rolling pin as you would pie dough.
18. Place on top of baking dish and pinch edges.
19. Brush top with water and egg mixture.
20. Bake at 400 °F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 °F and bake for 45 minutes.