Recipe(tried): Cuban Chicken Pie

Happy Inauguration Day 2009!

Well, we will have a new President today and a new era begins for all of us. I am going to make my Tia Estelvina's famous Chicken Pie, a fabulous Cuban mixture of chicken and spices tucked inside a savory sweet pastry. I will serve it with a side of salad that has slices of Fugi apple, raisins, blueberries and walnuts. And for dessert, my cousin Baby's awesome Flan.

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PASTEL DE POLLO TIA ESTELVINA
(TIA ESTELVINA'S CHICKEN PIE)

This recipe will make two pies in pans 7 1/2 x 11 1/2-inches. They are perfect for Buffet parties cut into squares, perfect to take to a pot luck, picnic, or a Funeral in the South! It seems like a long recipe but it does not take long to make, really!! It is awesome!!

The pastry is made of Royal Dough and it is absolutely wonderful!

FOR THE CHICKEN:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry wine (vino seco)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 cup pitted olives, cut up
1 small jar diced sweet red pimientos
salt and pepper (to taste)
FOR THE PASTRY:
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
7 egg yolks
6 cups flour
1 cup water mixed with 1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. baking powder
pinch salt
FOR THE FILLING:
14 pitted prunes
slivered olives

TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
Cover chicken with water in a sauce pot and bring to a boil, cook til chicken is done and tender. Drain and cool, set aside.

In a skillet, saute chopped onions, chopped pepper and garlic in veg. oil. Saute til veggies are limp.

Add tomato sauce and dry sherry wine to the skillet and let cook at medium-low for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile after chicken has cooled to the touch, begin shredding over the skillet. Mix well. Add the raisins, cut up olives and pimientos (drained), and salt and pepper. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE PASTRY:
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter and sugar well. Add the yolks one at a time. Blend well. Put this mixture in the middle of the well you made and begin working the dough by adding vanilla water with your fingers til you get a nice dough.

Divide dough into 4 parts. Place one dough ball between two pieces of wax paper and roll out bottom for the pan. Place bottom over the pan and peel away the wax paper, press gently onto bottom and sides, and cut away the edges of top.*

TO FILL AND BAKE:
Place 7 pitted prunes on bottom crust and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Fill with chicken filling 3/4 of the way up. Roll out the top repeating the same procedure as above. Crimp all edges to seal, make 4 slits in middle to vent steam. Repeat for 2nd pie.

Bake pies at 350 for 40 minutes.

*I roll out the extra dough left over and cut out with cookie cutter shapes and put on top of pie. With left over dough after all of this, roll out whatever is left and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake.