Russian Chicken Pie (Kurnik)

Pastry
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked regular rice
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
2 large onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 hardboiled eggs, peeled and
    finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced dill weed
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Prepare Pastry; wrap in plastic wrap. Heat water, rice and bouillon to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 14 minutes without lifting cover or stirring.

Remove from heat. Fluff rice lightly with fork; cover and let steam 5 to 10 minutes.

Cook and stir onions and mushrooms in butter in skillet over medium heat until onions are light brown. Mix half and half and cornstarch; stir into onion mixture. Stir in chicken broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken, parsley, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Mix chopped eggs and dill weed.

Spread one-third of the rice mixture in bottom of ungreased 12 x 7-inch baking dish. Layer with half of the chicken mixture and half of the egg mixture. Repeat the layers; top with remaining rice mixture.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Unwrap Pastry; place on well-floured cloth-covered board. Roll into a 13 x 8-inch rectangle with floured stockinet-covered rolling pin. Cut a 1-inch circle in center of pastry. Place Pastry over top of dish; turn edges under and flute. Mix egg yolk and water; brush over pastry. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Yields 8 servings.

Pastry:
1/4 cup firm butter or margarine
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Cut butter and shortening into flour and salt until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl. Gather pastry into ball; shape into flattened rectangle.