1 chicken (2 lb | 900g)
1 large onion, cut in eighths
2-3 cloves
1 piece cinnamon the size of 2 nibs
salt and pepper to taste
4 large potatoes, cut in halves or quarters
3 eggs, cut in half lengthwise
10 Chinese mushrooms
1 wineglass of white wine
2 tbsp lard
1 bay leaf

Cut the chicken into about 18 pieces.

Wash the mushrooms in warm water, put into a small bowl and cover with boiling water and leave till tender. Then cut off and discard the stems. Retain the mushroom water for later use.

Hard-boil the eggs, plunge in cold water, shell and set aside. Put the lard in a fairly large pan and when very hot add the onions and fry, add salt and pepper and go on frying till light brown. Then add the chicken and fry for 5 to 10 mins, stirring till the chicken looks cooked on the outside.

Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and mushroom and its water, and enough cold water to cover the chicken and simmer till tender. Half an hour before done add the potatoes cut in halves or quarters. When ready set aside till cold.

Pour into a pie dish and lay the neatly on with the yolks downwards. See that there is enough gravy is enough to cover ¾ of the contents otherwise add a little seasoned stock.

Puff pastry

Roll out the suet puff pastry to about ¾” thick. Trim the borders and cut them into 2 or 3 strips about 1½” wide for the upper edge of the pie top.

Roll out the rest of the pastry about 1″ larger than the circumference of the rim of the dish. Brush the rim with cold water. Lay the large piece of the dough over the dish loosely; press lightly but firmly around the rim and with a sharp knife trim the edges neatly.

Brush a 1½” wide area around the border of the top with cold water, and place the prepared strips neatly around the top and press lightly.

The leftover pastry can be cut in diamond shapes and scored with the back of a knife to represent leaves. Moisten them with water on the other side and lay on the pie as decoration.

When this is ready cut a hole in the centre of the pie the size of a 20-cent piece for steam and make a few slits on the surface of the pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake l¼ hours or till done. Keep the oven door closed for at least half an hour for if cold air gets in the pastry may collapse.

Just before serving, pour the wine into the central hole through a funnel, then close the hole with a bunch of fresh parsley or some suitable pastry decoration and serve.

1 chicken (1½ lb | 680g) cut in pieces
8 mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
1 small piece cinnamon
½ tsp soy sauce
3 potatoes, peeled and cut in halves
salt and pepper to taste
2 onions cut in eighths

Wash the mushrooms well and soak in a little boiling water. Take out the mushrooms and retain the water.

Put a teaspoonful of lard in a pan, and when hot, add salt and pepper and chicken and fry for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, garlic, cinnamon, soy sauce and enough water to cover.

When the chicken is half done, add the potatoes, then simmer till all is tender. The water of the mushrooms can be added when putting in the other ingredients. A teaspoon of white wine makes a big improvement.

This dish can be used for pie stuffing or served with rice.