Yield: 10 servings
8 tbsp Butter, sweet
1/2 tsp Nutmeg, grated
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
5 tbsp Flour
3 cup Chicken stock
1/2 cup Heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Pepper, black
1/2 cup Prunes, pitted, coarsely -chopped
1/2 cup Currants
1/2 lbs Mushrooms, quartered
1 Pepper, Red bell -cored/seeded/coarsely-chopped
1 lbs Pearl onions, frozen, thawed
6 cup Chicken, cooked, cubed
1 pack Peas, frozen, thawed
1/2 Flaky pastry recipe
Egg wash
Procedures
In a 2 quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat.
Add the nutmeg and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the butter, and with a wooden spoon,
stir to blend.
Increase the heat to moderate and slowly add the chicken stock,
blending well after each addition so that there are no lumps.
Mix in the cream, salt and pepper.
Gradually bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
When it has thickened, add the prunes and currants.
Cook over low heat 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a
saut^b pan over moderately low heat.
When it foams, add the mushrooms and peppers.
Sauté^b until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the onions, increase the heat to moderate, and saut^b for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
Scrape the sautéed vegetables and peas on top, then pour the
prune sauce over all.
Toss gently to distribute all the ingredients.
Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.
Spoon the chicken mixture into a deep 4-5 quart ovenproof
casserole.
Roll out the flaky pastry or puff pastry and, using the
casserole's lid as a guide, with the tip of a sharp knife cut it
to fit.
Lay the pastry over the chicken mixture and brush it with the
egg wash.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve immediately.
Serves 10-12
Early cookbooks reveal that chicken pie was every bit as popular
as roasted turkey for the principal entree at thanksgiving
dinner.
Al- though it's hard to believe, some families even served both.
This recipe, with its bizarre inclusion of prunes and currants,
nutmeg and cinnamon, has been developed from a very early
recipe.
Do not be put off by the fruit and spices.
Their presence is unobtrusive and they enhance what can be a
very pedestrian sauce, turning it into a magnificent, if
mysterious, backdrop for the chicken.
Posted by Karen
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