Anna Sultana’s Stuffed Chicken & Soup, Maltese Style - Tigiega Mimlja

I’ve been watching Property Brothers in awe.

Each person gets his or her own bedroom and, if it doesn't come with an ensuite bathroom, then at least each person gets a personal sink.

During the 50s my home life was a little cozier.

Ma and Pop owned a duplex with a storefront.

Each apartment had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom.

That was one bathroom with just one sink and a shower over the tub for my parents, their three children and Ma’s brother and mother.

We managed.

Ma had to cook for seven people, seven days a week.

Man does not live by bread alone.

Or by rabbit alone - even when it’s cooked Maltese style.

When Pop's homegrown bunnies were too small to make a decent sized meal, Ma went to plan B and served Stuffed Chicken.

Ma’s Stuffed Chicken is not for vegetarians.

She extended it by using bits and pieces of what was in the fridge.

It was delicious and we were fed.

What more did we need?

Hints:

When cleaning the chicken be sure to save the liver.

It can be chopped and added to the filling.

Even Julia Child (or Dan Akroyd) knew to Save The Liver!

If you’d like the chicken to be crisper, rub lard on the surface after you have placed it in the roasting pan.

                        Stuffed Chicken

Grease a baking dish with

1/2 Cup lard

Quarter

2 pounds potatoes

Place the potatoes in the greased baking dish.

After the stuffing has been prepared

Preheat oven 350º 

Place the potatoes in the oven.

Clean 

1 chicken

Filling

Place in a medium bowl

1/2 pound ground beef or pork or a mixture

the chopped chicken liver

1 Cup dry breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

Mix well.

Add

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Fill the chicken with this mixture.

In a dutch oven place

1 stick of celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 kohlrabi, chopped

the stuffed chicken

enough water to cover the chicken

Bring the water to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Remove the pan of potatoes from the oven.

Push the potatoes from the centre of the pan to make room for the chicken.

Carefully lift the chicken from the broth and place it in the pan.
Sprinkle with
1 teaspoon rosemary (optional)

Return pan to oven.

Roast, uncovered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

About 1/2 hour before serving the chicken add to the broth

1/2 Cup rice

Cover and bring to a boil.

Serve the soup as a first course.

Serve the chicken as a second course with the potatoes.

Peas or a tomato and lettuce salad would be a good addition, too.

Or some of Ma's Green Bean Salad.