Greek Chicken in Filo (Kotopita)
- 1 stewing chicken, cut in pieces
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 md. onion, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed in a garlic press
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. pine nuts
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 2-1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup cream
- 4 eggs, beaten until frothy
- 1/4 tsp. dill
- 2 tbsp. white wine
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (1) pkg. filo
- Additional butter for filo
- Rinse chicken pieces.
- In a large heavy Dutch oven, add 1/4 cup butter.
- When hot, add the chicken.
- Cover.
- Cook, turning without browning, for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken pieces and cool slightly.
- Remove bones and skin from chicken and discard.
- Chop chicken meat.
- Set aside.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet.
- Add onion, leek, celery, garlic, parsley, and pine nuts.
- Saute until vegetables are limp.
- Melt remaining butter in a saucepan and blend in flour.
- Cook 2 minutes.
- Stir in stock.
- Simmer until sauce boils.
- Cool.
- Stir in cream, eggs, nutmeg, dill, chicken, vegetables, and wine, if sauce seems too thick.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Butter a 12 x 9 x 3 inch baking pan.
- Line it with 6 sheets of filo, brushing each sheet with butter.
- Spread chicken filling evenly over filo.
- Top with 6 buttered filo sheets.
- Bake at 350 F. about 50 minutes, or until golden in color.
- Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
- Serve warm.
- 8 to 10 serving.
- Handling Phyllo Dough: If possible, buy phyllo that has not been frozen.
- It can be found in the refrigerator section of most Greek and some Middle Eastern delis.
- Let the package come to room temperature before opening it.
- The sheets are easier to work with at room temperature.
- Remove the sheets you are working with and spray or brush them with oil, butter or non stick cooking spray as quickly as possible.
- Keep the unused portions covered with a towel or plastic wrap.
- Work quickly; do not expose reserved sheets to the air or they will dry out and disintegrate.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs between the layers to keep them from sticking together when they bake; this is particularly helpful if you plan to refrigerate or freeze the recipe before baking.
- Some cooks work on a lightly dampened towel, but I find it makes the dough soggy.
- CAI Greek Cookbook
stewing chicken, unsalted butter, onion, leek, celery stalk, garlic, parsley, pine nuts, flour, chicken, cream, eggs, dill, white wine, salt, filo, butter
Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/20751 (may not work)