Ingredients
Serves 6-8
1.5 kg whole chicken
1 small onion,halved,
3 large onions, finely chopped
1 carrot ,sliced thickly
1 celery stalk,sliced thickly
pared rind of 1 lemon
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
155 g butter
55 g plain flour
150 ml milk
25 g cheese,grated
3 eggs,beaten
225 g filo pastry (work with one sheet
at a time and keep the remaining
sheets covered with a damp tea towel)
salt and pepper
method
1.Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the halved onion, carrot. celery ,lemon rind ,bay leaf and peppercorns . Add water and bring to the boil .Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked .
2 .Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Bring the stock to the boil and boil until reduced to about 625 ml . Strain and reserve the stock .Cut the cooled chicken into pieces ,without the skin and bones .
3 . Fry the chopped onions until softened in 55 g of the butter . Add the flour and cook gently, stirring for 2-3 minutes .Gradually stir in the reserved stock and the milk .Bring to the boil ,stirring constantly then simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat ,add the chicken and season. Leave to cool then stir in the cheese and eggs .
4 . Melt the remaining butter and use a little to grease a deep metal baking pan . Cut the pastry sheets in half width ways .Line the pan with one sheet of pastry and brush it with a little melted butter .Repeat with half of the pastry sheets . Spread the filling over the pastry ,then top with the remaining pastry sheets , brushing each with butter and tucking down the edges. Bake in a preheated oven , 190 degrees C/ Gas Mark 5 for about 50 minutes until golden. Serve warm .
Serves 6-8
1.5 kg whole chicken
1 small onion,halved,
3 large onions, finely chopped
1 carrot ,sliced thickly
1 celery stalk,sliced thickly
pared rind of 1 lemon
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
155 g butter
55 g plain flour
150 ml milk
25 g cheese,grated
3 eggs,beaten
225 g filo pastry (work with one sheet
at a time and keep the remaining
sheets covered with a damp tea towel)
salt and pepper
method
1.Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the halved onion, carrot. celery ,lemon rind ,bay leaf and peppercorns . Add water and bring to the boil .Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked .
2 .Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Bring the stock to the boil and boil until reduced to about 625 ml . Strain and reserve the stock .Cut the cooled chicken into pieces ,without the skin and bones .
3 . Fry the chopped onions until softened in 55 g of the butter . Add the flour and cook gently, stirring for 2-3 minutes .Gradually stir in the reserved stock and the milk .Bring to the boil ,stirring constantly then simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat ,add the chicken and season. Leave to cool then stir in the cheese and eggs .
4 . Melt the remaining butter and use a little to grease a deep metal baking pan . Cut the pastry sheets in half width ways .Line the pan with one sheet of pastry and brush it with a little melted butter .Repeat with half of the pastry sheets . Spread the filling over the pastry ,then top with the remaining pastry sheets , brushing each with butter and tucking down the edges. Bake in a preheated oven , 190 degrees C/ Gas Mark 5 for about 50 minutes until golden. Serve warm .