Stoved Hen aka Chicken Stovies

Two versions of an old Highland wedding feast recipe. The classic and the modern.

Classic:
A plump chicken or fowl, potatoes, onions or shallots (optional), butter, salt, pepper, water

Prepare the bird and cut up neatly. Peel two pounds of potatoes and cut up roughly. Slice an onion or two shallots. Arrange in a pot alternate layers of potatoes, onions, and chicken, sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper and dotting liberally with butter. Add about three gills of water and cover tightly. Simmer very gently for two or three hours, or until the chicken in tender. If necessary, add a little hot water occasionally to prevent burning.

My modern take:
400g chicken meat, chopped
1kg of equal sized chopped potatoes
2 large carrots, diced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 desertspoon of mixed spice, nutmeg, and mace
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of black pepper, and salt
180ml of chicken stock
butter

On a low heat, fry the onion until soft but not brown. Remove from pan and layer in the following fashion: potato, onion, carrot, chicken then repeat until out of ingredients. Between each layer add in a liberal sprinkle of the seasoning mix and dot with butter. Add in the stock and put a lid on the pan. Leave to cook on a low heat for 2 - 3 hours.