Kurnik is a Russian holiday cake, the recipe of which came to us from ancient times. There are many versions of the origin of its name. So, some researchers believe that it got its name because of the central hole on the “lid”, from which the steam comes out (smokes). The stuffing for the chicken coop can be very different. For example, pork, potatoes, chicken, mushrooms, sauerkraut and even berries.
Features and secrets of making a pie
Delicious holiday pastries can be prepared from almost any dough. It can be fresh, yeast, sand or puff. And in some cases, the henhouse is made from ordinary pancakes. The treats were traditionally prepared for big holidays or for weddings. Popular signs and traditions associated with this cake are known. For example, two cakes were prepared for the wedding: one for the bride, and the second for the groom. The treats were broken over the newlyweds' heads and watched how many crumbs would fall. It was believed that the more of them, the richer the young family will be.
The traditional stuffing for a chicken coop consists of chicken fillet, buckwheat porridge, boiled egg and fried onions. But modern recipes have dozens of variations, and of course you can choose any of them. Professional chefs and culinary enthusiasts prepare the filling of meat, cheese, mushrooms, sour cabbage, herbs and many other products.
Cooking this cake is usually time consuming. Even experienced chefs try to do baking on the day off, redoing all urgent matters. As we already mentioned, for a chicken coop they often prepare a complex filling consisting of three or four ingredients. But the difficulties do not end there! Note that you have to knead two types of dough - one for thin partitions that separate the filling and create layers, and the second for the lid or dome.
This cake is usually recognized by the round hole at the top. However, there are other design options. For example, some housewives simply pierce the pie with a fork or make longitudinal cuts with a knife. Often, the henhouse is decorated with figures made of dough or simple geometric patterns. This tradition makes the pie even more interesting and distinctive.
Many old cake recipes are passed down from generation to generation, carefully preserved in the family. Some of them are strikingly different from each other in the composition of the products or their proportions. But that is why it is so exciting to find original types of favorite pastries, each time rejoicing in new tastes and aromas!
Chicken coop. Classic recipe
This traditional Russian treat will require your attention and time. But if you are ready to make a little effort, you will end up with a surprisingly tasty and satisfying pie.
Ingredients for Tight Dough:
- wheat flour - 400 grams;
- butter - 100 grams;
- chicken egg;
- milk - a quarter cup;
- sour cream - three tablespoons;
- soda - one pinch.
Pancake Dough Ingredients:
- milk - 350 ml;
- one egg;
- flour - five tablespoons;
- salt and sugar to taste.
For the filling, take:
- one whole chicken - about one and a half kilograms;
- porcini mushrooms - 400 grams;
- onions - one or two pieces;
- boiled rice, millet or buckwheat - 200 grams;
- boiled eggs - two pieces;
- salt and spices to your taste.
Next, we will describe in detail how to cook a chicken coop.
Traditional chicken recipe
Knead a thick dough first. To do this, combine milk with sour cream, egg and melted butter. Sift flour with soda, add a little salt and mix all the ingredients. Divide the dough into two parts - roll out the base from the smaller, and from the larger we will form a dome for the pie.
After that, prepare the batter and bake pancakes from it (six or eight pieces).
Next, prepare the filling for the chicken with rice or buckwheat. Mix the cereals with fried onions and finely chopped herbs (parsley or dill).
Boil the chicken, remove the meat from the bones and chop it finely. Add some broth, salt and spices to the filling.
Fry the mushrooms in vegetable oil and combine them with chopped boiled eggs.
We collect the kurnik
Cover the pan with parchment and oil it. Lay on it a base of dense dough. After that, start spreading the fillings, covering each pancake. First comes a layer of rice, then chicken, and then mushrooms. Repeat the sequence until all ingredients are complete.
Gently cover the structure with a thinly rolled dough sheet and pinch the edges. Lubricate the surface of the cake with whipped yolk and make a round hole on the top for steam to escape. Bake the treat for half an hour at a temperature of 200 degrees.
You can serve the pie to the table with a sauce made from butter, broth, flour and cream. All these products need to be whipped, boiled in a water bath, and then mixed with egg yolks. The broth left after cooking the chicken is seasoned with spices and served separately.
How to cook a chicken potato
This time we will tell you how to bake a quick pie from a ready-made puff pastry.
Chicken stuffing with potatoes and chicken is prepared from the following ingredients:
- chicken thighs (we need only filet with skin) - 500 grams;
- butter - 50 grams;
- boiled potatoes - three tubers;
- onions - two pieces;
- thyme - two branches;
- garlic - one slice;
- a chicken egg and one yolk.
Cooking a Holiday Cake
How to prepare the filling for the chicken coop? The recipe is described in detail below.
Peel the onion and cut into a cube.
Cut the fillet with the skin into large pieces, and then fry it in vegetable oil. Add thyme and garlic to the pan for taste. At the very end, lay the prepared onion for the chicken. When the filling is ready, throw it in a colander and wait for the excess fat to drain.
Dice potatoes.
Thinly roll two sheets of dough, and then cut the edges with a knife, giving the workpieces a rectangular shape. Put the first layer on the silicone mat and pierce it with a fork in several places. Put the filling evenly and cover it with a second layer of dough.
Connect the edges of the workpiece and grease the surface of the chicken with a beaten egg. If you have a little dough left, make jewelry out of it. For example, you can create a geometric pattern, depict leaves or flowers, as well as mold figures of birds or animals. You can realize any fantasy if you mobilize all your creative abilities and talents.
Bake the cake in a well-heated oven for 20 minutes. After that, let it cool slightly, and then immediately bring it to the table. This treat is combined with hot tea, fruit drinks, compote, and in some cases with strong drinks.
Chicken meat and potato
For this dish you will need a ready-made dough, which you can purchase in the nearest cooking or knead it yourself according to your favorite recipe.
The chicken pork and potato filling consists of the following products:
- 450 grams of meat;
- two onions;
- two potatoes;
- a raw egg;
- a spoon of water;
- half a teaspoon of ground pepper and caraway seeds;
- a teaspoon of salt.
Filling for a chicken coop is very simple. Process the meat and cut into cubes. Peel onions and potatoes, and then cut into very small pieces. Combine the prepared foods in a deep bowl, add salt and spices to them.
Divide the dough and roll out two layers from the blanks. Place the first on a baking sheet, and then spread the filling on it. Close the pie with a second layer and connect the edges. Make a few cuts with a knife so that steam comes out of them.
Beat the egg with water, and then grease the dough with the mixture. Bake the treat for 40 minutes by setting the temperature to 200 degrees.
Pancake pot with mushrooms and chicken
Surprisingly delicious treats will decorate any holiday table. For this dish, take:
- 15 thin rosy pancakes;
- 200 ml of sour cream;
- 200 grams of forest mushrooms or champignons;
- 100 grams of chicken;
- 50 grams of cheese;
- four boiled eggs;
- bulb;
- a bunch of dill;
- salt.
Chicken and mushroom chicken stuffing is quick and easy to prepare. Cut the chicken fillet and half the onion into small cubes, and then fry the products in vegetable oil. Add salt, spices and sour cream to them. Stew the filling for a quarter of an hour, not forgetting to stir it periodically.
Chop the other half of the onion randomly and fry in a separate pan with mushrooms.
Boil eggs, peel and chop finely. Combine the pieces and finely chopped herbs.
Put a sheet of parchment on the bottom of the detachable shape. Next, lay out a few pancakes so that their edges hang down. Close the center with two pancakes and grease them with sour cream.
Lay out the filling, alternating it with pancakes (each time you need to put two in pieces). The first layer is onion and mushrooms, followed by chicken, and at the end of the egg and onion. Lift the protruding edges of the pancakes up and connect them. Sprinkle the grated cheese on the treat and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.
Conclusion
As you can see, the chicken filling is prepared with a wide variety of products. Combining new ingredients every time, you will get a new original taste. Therefore, do not be afraid of bold experiments. They will help you surprise guests at the festive table and delight loved ones at the weekend.