Chicken pie (pastelon de pollo)

4 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
PASTRY---
3cupsFlour
teaspoonSalt
1cupVegetable shortening --
Chilled
½cupMilk -- chilled
FILLING---
1tablespoonVegetable oil
1ounceSalt pork -- washed and
Diced
2ouncesLean cured ham -- diced
1Onion -- peeled and chopped
1Green pepper -- seeded
3Sweet chile peppers --
Seeded
2Cloves garlic -- peeled
1teaspoonOregano -- crushed
2poundsChicken -- cut up
teaspoonSalt
2teaspoonsWater
14 oz can
Juice
8Dried prunes -- pitted and
Chopped
¼cupSeeded raisins
½cupTomato sauce
8Olives -- pimiento stuffed capers
18 oz can
Pimientos -- chopped in
Green peas

Directions

I love Puerto Rican Food!... It's usually simple, yet rich with lots of cilantro and garlic!!. Enclosed are examples of 4 dishes that can be simplified to taste. I always add mucho mas cilantro, peppers and garlic with fresh ingredients (I never used canned foods).

I prefer to also add a pinch of red chili powder just to make it interesting (not a traditional ingredient in Puerto Rican food).

PASTRY:

Sift together flour and salt

Add shortening and cut into flour with a dough blender or two knives Add milk and stir just enough to mix ingredients into a dough.

Place dough on a lightly-floured board and divide in half.

Set aside one half and roll out other half, with a lightly floured rolling pin into a circle large nough to cover a 9-10 inch pie plate. Do not stretch dough. Prick bottom and sides with a fork.

Prepare other half in the same way and set aside for top covering.

FILLING:

In a skillet, brown rapidly salt pork and cured ham in oil. Reduce heat to low and saute onion, peppers, garlic and oregano until tender.

Wash chicken pieces, add with salt and water. Mix over moderate heat about 3 minutes.

Add pimientos, prunes, raisins, tomato sauce, olives, and capers and bring rapidly to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Add ingredients included in D, mix and remove from heat.

Remove chicken pieces. Separate meat from bones and discard bones. Mince the meat and add to skillet.

Spoon fillling into pie plate.

Cover top with other half of dough, being careful not to stretch it.

Prick in several places with a fork. Fasten edges of dough by pressing together firmly with a fork dipped in milk. Brush top lightly with milk.

Bake in preheated ove (350 degrees F) about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Tammie K Nakamura <nakamurt@...> Recipe By : Puerto Rican Cookery ISBN 0-88289-411-0 From: Date: 05/28