Chicken Pie for Adeline

This weekend we had a big family reunion. Together with my sister-in-law from Luxembourg we celebrated the expected arrival of her first grandchild - Adeline. Our house is central and always open to any festive event. What a joyous afternoon we had with everyone chatting, eating and drinking! It was indeed special because my mother was also present; also looking forward to become a great grandmother for the third time. It is always very important for families to spend time together and celebrate big events.

We decided to create a big chicken pie and huge lasagne to feed the masses and with that we served a nice coleslaw and some bottled beetroot and curried beans that we preserved from the previous vegetable crop.

The chicken pie was a mammoth task and we started the previous day with the preparations. Firstly three chickens had to be boiled with lots of spices and then de-boned; no short cuts here! The spices are reminiscent of our heritage from the Netherlands. I wanted to finish the chicken mixture for the pie a day before the actual event and then all that remained the next day was to roll out the puff pastry and bake the pie. Luckily we still had some Italian leeks in the vegetable garden that could be used for the chicken pie.

The lasagne was made the day of the party and Cubano prepared the fresh pasta sheets for me. He is excellent at this and I think we make a brilliant team.

Cubano preparing fresh pasta sheets

My mother (Adeline's great grandmother) preparing with the coleslaw.

The soon-to-be mother expecting Adeline.

The warm chicken pie and lasagne were very fitting for a cold day in Johannesburg, seeing that winter is well on its way. We perceive our winter as cold, although not comparable to European winters.

Veggies and herbs for chicken pie.

Prepared chicken mix before covered with puff pastry.

Chicken Pie decorated with little people shapes.

Chicken Pie

Author: Dulcie & Cubano

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

3 fresh chickens

Small punnet of white button mushrooms

6-8 carrots

3-4 Italian leeks

2 celery stalks with leaves

1 whole garlic

10 laurel leaves

15 whole black peppercorns

10 whole all spice

10 cloves

10 whole coriander

Thyme tied up in a small bunch

2-3 tbsp salt

6 tbl white vinegar

250 ml dry white wine

1,5 l boiling water

250 ml cake flour

125 ml water

1 roll puff pastry

1 egg and 75ml milk to brush over the pastry

Method:

Trim off excess fatty skin that is usually left around neck area. Cut leeks, peeled carrots and mushrooms in slices.

Tie the spices in a small muslin cloth. Add spices and chicken to 1,5 litre of boiling water. Add bunch of thyme, carrots, celery, vinegar, white wine, salt and pepper. Boil the lot for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until chicken is really soft enough to be removed from the bones.

Remove chicken and de-bone (the skin can be cut into small pieces and added to chicken mixture). Remove carrots and leeks and also add to the chicken mixture. Discard the bag of spices and bunch of thyme. The garlic can be cut up and added or it can be discarded - personal choice. Spoon the chicken and veg mix into an oven-proof dish.

All that is now left in the pot is nice chicken stock. Mix 250 ml flour with water to form a paste. Ensure that no lumps formed. Bring the remaining chicken stock to a boil and add the flour paste to thicken the stock. Add the mushrooms to the thickened stock. Pour the stock over the chicken mixture and mix thoroughly.

Roll out the puff pastry and cover the oven-proof mix containing the chicken mixture. Don't stretch the pastry. Trim off the excess and use to decorate the pie. Brush with the egg and milk mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes at 240 degrees and then for another 20 minutes at 180 degrees.