2 large chicken, cut into 6 pieces

1 large onion, peeled and quarterd

6 whole allspice
4 whole cloves

1/4 t ground mace

1 t salt

6 whole black peppercorns

4 cups water

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 T vermicelli

3 T sago

2 egg yolks

1 t strained fresh lemon juice

                                                                 500 g smoked ham,
                                                                 fat trimmed cut off

                                                                 and cut into 2cm cubes

                                                                 2 hard boiled eggs

                                                                 sliced in an egg slicer

                                                                 rough puff pastry

                                                                 1 egg combined with
                                                                 1 T cold water and beaten lightly.

In a large casserole, combine the chicken, onion, allspice, cloves, mace, salt and peppercorns. Add the water and bring the ingredients to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the birds are tender. Strain the stock. Skim the fat from the surface of the stock. Using a wire whisk, stir constantly whilst adding the sago and vermicelli. Pour the wine in, stirring constantly to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the sides of the casserole. Allow the mixture to thicken.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks together with lemon juice. Slowly add this mixture to the simmering sauce. Bring the mixture to the boil again for 1 min, whisking constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Set aside.

Remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat away from the bones. Discard skin and bones and flake meat into small pieces. Spread half the chicken pieces evenly in a ovenproof clay pie dish. Scatter the diced ham on top and arrange the egg slices over ham. Arrange the rest of the flaked chicken over the sliced eggs. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 210°C. On a lightly floured surface roll the puff pastry into a rough rectangle about 1 cm thick. Drape pastry over rolling pin and unfold over pie dish. Brush pastry with egg-and-water mixture. Bake the pie on the middle shelf of the oven for 15 min. Reduce heat to 180°C and continue to bake pastry for 45 min until the crust is golden brown. Serve chicken pie directly from the baking dish.

2 Guinea – fowls

2 T olive oil

Marinade

3 Cups dry red wine

2 T oil

4 whole cloves

3 bay leaves

6 allspice

2 T crushed garlic

1 chopped onion

4 rashers bacon

                                                                 1 t thyme

Combine all the ingredients and allow the guinea-fowls to marinate for 2 days. Remove the guinea-fowls and bacon from the marinade. Heat the oil in a casserole. Fry the bacon rashers, and brown the birds. Remove from the casserole and set aside. Pour the marinade onto the casserole and boil quickly in order to reduce the liquid by half. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Salt or sugar may be needed. Return the birds and the bacon to the casserole and place in a low oven (160°C) for 3 min or until the birds are tender. Taste again and adjust the seasoning before serving, accompanied with quince jelly.

4 chicken breasts

1 t mustard sauce

½ t dried thyme

2 t oil

2 T lemon juice

½ cup water

1 cup of chicken stock

1 t corn flour

4 t chopped fresh chives

Heat the oil in a frying pan.  Spread the mustard onto the chicken breasts and sprinkle with thyme.  Cook the breasts until brown and tender.  Dissolve the corn flour in the cold water.  Add the stock and then the lemon juice to the chicken.  Add the dissolved corn flour together with the chives.  Stir until the sauce thickens.

2 chickens

½ t salt

¼ t black pepper

Juice of one lemon

2 t olive oil

1 t coloured chilli powder (no1)

1 t red chilli masala

2 t paprika

1 t crushed garlic

1 t chopped ginger

¼ t cumin

Clean and halve the chickens. Prick the chicken meat with a fork and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with the lemon juice and allow standing for 15 min. Combine all the ingredients with the remaining lemon juice, in the bowl. Make this into a paste and add a little more oil if necessary. Rub this paste onto the chickens. Place the chickens in a roasting tray and roast on the middle rack of the oven at 180°C for 1 hour or until chicken are tender and deep red colour.