When I make this recipe I may get the chicken cooked and cooled and the fat raised to the top of broth one day and finish the recipe the next day. Just depending on when I start the recipe and the time I have. Read the whole recipe first. Now make your own plan.
Cooking the Chicken First stage
\"recipe Chicken\"
- My free range chicken that has been cooling in frig for 24 hours. Oh so good!!!!
- Get out the crock pot.
- You may use a regular pot on stove and this is quicker so you will have to monitor the chicken more closely but do the same recipe as a crock pot.
- Put chicken in crock pot. Cover the chicken completely with water and cover with a lid.
- Cook until it starts falling off the bone.
- It may take 4-6 hours to cook depending on the crock pot and size and quality of chicken.
- Once meat is falling off the bone, I remove the chicken and place in colander with bowl underneath to catch the extra broth.
- Now I let the chicken and broth cool.
- Once the broth has cooled enough, I put the broth in pitchers, cover and the place in the frig. What I will be waiting for is the fat to rise to the top of the pitchers and the use the fat in the pastry.
- Next debone the chicken.
- If the skin is good I may put the skin aside to put in the recipe. Just depending on my mood.
Seasoning the Broth Second Stage
- OK every thing is ready now. The chicken is ready and the fat has raised to the top of the pitchers.
- Skim the fat off and place in small container and put to the side.
- Put the chicken broth on the stove and turn on medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Hold out one quart of broth and set aside.
- Add 1-2 stalk of celery cut up to the broth.
- Add 1/2 to 1 onion cut up to the broth.
- Add one teaspoon of salt. This can be your own preference.
- Add 1-2 teaspoon of paste chicken bouillon or 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
- Let this cook approx 30 minutes while you are making the pastry
Pastry dough Third Stage
- The pastry is now ready to be made.
- Measure out 2 cups of all purpose flour into large bowl.
- Blend into the flour with a fork approximately 2 tablespoons of the congealed chicken fat that was put to the side. This should only take about 2-3 minutes.
- Add approximately 3/4 to one cup of set aside broth to the flour mixture.
- Blend and make a ball. Sometimes you may need to add a little flour or add a little more broth. Now you have pastry.
- Place sprinkles of flour on the counter and take a section of the ball and put in the center of the sprinkled flour.
- Press the balled flour down with your hands. Turn over and press again. Do this a couple of times.
- Then use your roller to roll out the flour to be very thin.
- Use the back side of a dinner knife and cut thinned pastry strips give or take about one inch wide.
- Pick up pasty and place on a lightly sprinkle floured plater.
- Take another section of pastry ball, sprinkle a little flour on the counter. Press out the pastry, roll the pastry, cut the pastry, place on plater until you finish with all the pastry.
Making pastry strips Fourth Stage
- Now lets get cooking again.
- The broth now has been cooking about 30 minutes now and bring to a medium slow boil.
- Gradually start putting your strips of pastry into the chicken broth one at the time. Go slowly so you do not lose your boil.
- After you finish adding the strips of pastry to the broth have a slow boil going and cook approx 20.
- At this stage I sometime may add a cup or two of frozen peas or any vegetable you wish. It is up to you.
- Stir the broth and pastry from time to time to prevent sticking.
- After the 20 minutes is up add your deboned chicken and chicken skin if you wish and cook another 10 minutes.
- Now you are done. Are you hungry yet?
Notes
Now you may think this recipe is too hard to make. Just don't make it hard. Do a little planning. If you are like me you don't have all day to prepare. So plan your stages. I have been making this recipe for years and is always good. After eating and you have left overs then freeze the rest. Also freeze or can any left over broth. I save the broth so I can add to the pasty after freezing cause the pastry soaks up the moisture or the slick and I like lots of chicken slick. Make the recipe to fit your taste. Also if you do not have your own chicken to use you can use a store bought chicken. It just will not be as good.
"Chicken Slick" - My Chicken and Pastry Recipe
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