Kurnik (Курник) — Russian Layered Chicken and Blini Pie

• 400 gall-purpose flour (Use 380 g in the dough and reserve 20 g for rolling.)
• 180 gunsalted butter (Cold and diced.)
• 150 gsmetana (Cultured sour cream with approximately 20% fat, chilled.)
• 1large egg
• 5 gfine salt
• 250 mlwhole milk
• 50 mlwater
• 100 glong-grain white rice (Dry weight.)
• 3large eggs
• 1 bunchfresh dill (A small bunch yielding 15 g of finely chopped fronds.)
• 600 gcooked skinless chicken thigh meat (Boneless, unseasoned, poached or roasted, and cut into 1 cm pieces.)
• 50 mlunsalted chicken stock
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 400 gcremini mushrooms (Finely chopped.)
• 1large onion (Approximately 200 g peeled weight, finely diced.)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine 380 g pastry flour and 5 g salt in a large bowl, then rub in 180 g cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized flakes. Whisk 150 g smetana with 1 egg, add it to the flour mixture, and bring together into a soft dough without kneading. Divide into portions of approximately one-third and two-thirds, flatten into discs, cover, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

2. 2

   Whisk the blini flour, milk, egg, 50 ml water, and 1 g salt into a smooth batter. Stir in 10 g melted butter and leave to rest for 20 minutes while preparing the fillings.

3. 3

   Rinse the rice under cold running water and drain thoroughly. Combine it with 200 ml water and 2 g salt in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave covered for 10 minutes, and spread on a plate to cool.

4. 4

   Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle boil and carefully lower in the 3 filling eggs. Cook for 10 minutes, cool under cold running water, and peel. Chop the eggs and combine with the cooled rice and dill to make the rice kasha and egg filling.

5. 5

   Melt 40 g butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and 2 g salt, increase to medium-high heat, and cook for 10–12 minutes until the released liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a shallow dish and cool completely.

6. 6

   Combine the cooked chicken, 100 g smetana, 50 ml stock, 2 g salt, and black pepper in a saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring until the chicken is coated and no loose liquid pools beneath it. Spread in a shallow dish and cool completely before assembling the pie.

7. 7

   Heat a nonstick frying pan with a 24 cm cooking surface over medium heat and brush with part of the reserved 5 g butter. Divide the batter into 6 equal portions and cook six thin blini, swirling each portion across the pan and cooking for approximately 60–90 seconds on the first side and 20–30 seconds on the second. Use the remaining pan butter between batches and spread the cooked blini on plates to cool.

8. 8

   Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan, with a heavy baking sheet on the lower-middle rack. Using the reserved 20 g flour for dusting, roll the smaller pastry portion into a 30 cm circle approximately 3 mm thick. Place it on baking parchment on a flat transfer tray and set one blini in the center, leaving the pastry border exposed.

9. 9

   Spread half the rice and egg filling over the first blini, keeping it within the pancake's edge, and cover with a second blini. Add half the chicken filling and a third blini, followed by all the mushroom filling and a fourth blini. Finish with the remaining chicken, a fifth blini, the remaining rice filling, and the sixth blini, gently shaping the layers into a rounded mound.

10. 10

    Whisk the glaze egg with 15 ml water and brush a narrow band around the exposed pastry border. Roll the larger dough portion into a circle approximately 38 cm across, drape it over the filling, and gently ease it down without stretching. Press the pastry edges together, trim to leave a 2 cm border, and crimp firmly.

11. 11

    Cut a 2 cm steam vent through the pastry at the top of the dome, taking care not to seal it with decorations. Roll the trimmings into leaves or strips, attach them with egg wash, and brush the entire dome with the remaining glaze. Keep egg wash out of the vent so steam can escape freely.

12. 12

    Slide the pie and its parchment onto the preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan and continue baking for 35–45 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden, the base is cooked, and the center reaches 74°C on an instant-read thermometer. Cover the dome loosely with foil if it browns before the center is hot.

13. 13

    Rest the kurnik for 20 minutes so the layered filling settles before cutting. Transfer carefully to a serving board and cut into 10 wedges with a sharp serrated knife, supporting each portion with a wide server.