Pat� A La Rapure

1 chicken 5-6 lb boiling
5 lb potatoes
2 md onions; chopped
1 celery stalk-diced
1 carrot; grated
1/4 ts thyme or
1 bay leaf
1 salt & pepper

Cut chicken into individual pieces. Place in saucepan. Cover with cold
water, bring to a boil. Add onions, celery, carrot, thyme or bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or till chicken is tender. Peel and grate potatoes over a bowl of cold water. When chicken is cooked squeeze 1 or 2 cups potatoes at a time in a piece of cotton till quite dry. Place in a saucepan. When potatoes are all squeezed dry add as much boiling broth from the chicken as needed to almost cover potatoes. Stir till thoroughly mixed. Salt lightly. Simmer over low heat about 10 minutes.

Grease generously a 8" square baking dish. Spread half potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Bone the hot chicken and spread over the potatoes, cover with the half of the potatoes. Mince one small onion very finely, add 1/4 tsp pepper and 2 slices fat salt pork cut in very small dice.

Bake 1/2 hour in 350� F oven or till top is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.