Hoenderpastei is a traditional South African recipe also known as: Boer Chicken Pie
A recipe that takes into account the Dutch and English traditions plus the indigenous peoples of this huge nation;
Ingredients:
- 1.4kg oven-ready chicken
- 900ml water
- 15ml (1 level tbsp) salt
- 5ml (1tsp) whole allspice
- 5ml (1 tsp.) whole peppercorns
- 2 bayleaves
- 3 carrots, pared and sliced
- 2 onions, skinned and quartered
- 2 sticks of celery, sliced
- 5 sprigs of parsley
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 25gr marge
- 45ml (3 level tbsp.) flour
- 30-45 ml (2-3tbsps) kosher sherry
- 15ml (1 tbsp.) lemon juice
- 5 ml (1 level tsp.) sugar
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 egg yolk
- 250g shortcrust pastry, i.e. made with 250g flour etc
- egg to glaze
Method:
- Quarter the chicken put it in a large pan with the water, salt, allspice, peppercorns, bayleaves, vegetables and parsley sprigs (tied together).
- Cover and simmer for ½ hour.
- Take out the vegetables and chicken and strain the stock.
- Cut the vegetables up small; cut the meat from the chicken bones in large chunks.
- Put into large pie dish alternate layers of chicken, vegetables, and sliced hard-boiled egg.
- Melt the marge and gradually stir in the flour, 300ml of the stock, the kosher sherry, lemon juice, sugar, pepper.
- Cook until the sauce is thick and smooth.
- Beat the egg yolk well, stir slowly into the sauce and heat gently, stirring, till thick, but don’t boil.
- Pour this sauce over chicken and vegetables; cool.
- Cover the pie with pastry, then, using a sharp knife, cut a short line from the centre towards each of the four corners and fold each pastry triangle back, leaving an open square.
- Brush the pastry over with beaten egg to glaze and bake in the oven at 220C(425F) mark 7 for 25 minutes.