Ukrainian Chicken Pie Kurnyk

Rich pastry with a layer of rice, chicken mixture, mushrooms, hard boiled eggs and dill.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• CHICKEN

• 2  onions, halved
• 1  stalk celery, halved
• 1  garlic clove, pressed
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 5  cups water
• 4  lbs chicken

• SOUR CREAM PASTRY

• 3 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter, CHILLED (1/4 lb)
• 2  eggs, LIGHTLY BEATEN
• 1  cup sour cream (1/2 pint)
• 1  egg yolk, beaten

• FILLING

• 1 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock
• 1⁄4 pint sour cream (1/2 cup)
• 2  tablespoons parsley
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
•  salt
• 3  cups cooked rice
• 1  lb  sliced mushrooms, fried in butter
• 5  hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Directions

1. For the chicken: In a kettle combine the first 5 ingredients and boil for 15 minutes. Add the chicken, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. When the chicken is done, remove the meat and chop.
3. Reserve 1 1/2 cups stock for the filling.
4. For the pastry: Sift the flour with the baking powder onto a pastry board.
5. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the butter.
6. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the butter and flour together into a stiff granular dough that is the consistency of cornmeal.
7. Mix the eggs, yolk, salt and sour cream together. Add enough of the liquid until the liquid is absorbed and the dough holds together.
8. Do not over-handle.
9. If the dough will not hold together, add a bit more of the egg and sour cream mixture.
10. Quickly form the dough into a ball, wrap in a damp towel and chill for 1 hour.
11. Blend 1 1/2 cups of the stock and the 1/2 cup of sour cream and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and blend in the parsley, nutmeg, lemon juice and the chopped chicken and salt to taste.
12. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch thickness and line a deep pie dish.
13. Beginning and ending with a layer of rice, alternate a layer of the chicken mixture with a layer of the mushrooms and a layer of the chopped eggs and dill.
14. Press down filling, then cover with the remaining pastry, crimping the edges to seal.
15. Cut a 1-inch hole in the center, then brush lid with egg.
16. Bake 15 minutes in a 400°F oven, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake until the kurnyk bubbles at the edges, about 30 minutes.
17. Serve hot. Serves 8.
18. Larousse Treasury of Country Cooking.