1 karen mintzias
1 chicken, stewed
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cup chicken broth/stock, warmed
1/4 cup milk, optional
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated cheese *(see note)
1 salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 thyme or mint leaves, chopped
12 commercial filo sheets
Directions
*Note: Suggested cheeses are either Mizithra or
Kefalotyri. If unavailable, Parmesan or Romano could
be substituted. :-(
Remove the bones and skin from chicken and discard.
With your fingers tear the chicken into strips, not
too small. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
Melt the 4 T butter in a heavy pan, then blend in the
flour, without scorching, over medium heat. Remove
from the heat for a minute and stir in the warm broth,
then return to the heat and cook gently until the
sauce boils. Cool. Mix in the milk if the sauce
seems too thick, then add the eggs, cheese, a little
salt, pepper, nutmeg, and thyme.
Butter a 9 x 12 x 3-inch baking pan and in it spread 6
filo sheets, brushing each with melted butter. Pour
in the chicken filling, then cover with the remaining
filo sheets. Tuck the top filo over the bottom and
flute the edges. Score the top 3 filo sheets with a
sharp knife. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 40
minutes, or until crisp and golden chestnut in color.
Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before
cutting into 9 to 12 squares. Serve warm. (Serves 9
to 12)
Note: In Epirus, Kotopita is sometimes made with a
large amount of onions. If you would like to try it,
use the recipe above plus 1 pound of Spanish- type
onions. Peel and slice the onions, boil in water for
5 minutes, and drain. Prepare the sauce without the
cheese and bake the chicken and onions in the sauce,
between homemade filo, preferably, or commercial filo.
From: "The Food of Greece" by Vilma Liacouras
Chantiles. Avenel Books, New York.
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
Servings: 10 servings
Kotopita (Greek Chicken Pie) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Chicken; Dessert; Pie
The History of Recipes
We are able to trace the history of written recipes back into antiquity, at least as far into history as early Egypt, and possibly even further. Having said that, sadly, these early cookbooks were just basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for meal preparation.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe in existence, according to experts is a collection of clay tablets in Sumerian which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel blissful. As we move into Roman times 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a collection of scripts detailing recipes cooked by the Romans. In his publication, Apicius recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were divided into starters, entrees and desserts, a style of dining still practiced today. Additionally, he describes how the ancient cooks made use of many aromatic flavors, including a few that will be familiar to modern chefs like thyme, mint and asafoetida. As we move on, there are some recipe books which appeared in the 1300s - a recipe book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary named `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, they are nothing to do with the indian curry that is popular today, but rather descriptions of the types of meals enjoyed by the rich and powerful. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us a variety of foods and spices from the East, including parsley and basil. These new spices and herbs caused an outbreak in books on cooking, most of which are now in private collections. Over the succeeding few centuries, the upper classes strove to serve up the most extravagent meals, and as a result the best cooks and their recipe collections were at a premium. Even so, it wasn`t until the 1800s the formal cooking and recipe books became popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, dedicated years of their lives to collecting, trying out, and recording the recipes of their peers. When we get to the twentieth century, cookery books are greatly in demand as a result of increased literacy, people having more spare time and having more money to spend. The TV revolution gave us TV chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing us all to search through massive numbers of recipes such as those found on sites such as the one you are reading now. |
We hope you enjoy this Kotopita (Greek Chicken Pie) recipe.
