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Chicken Pot Pie

Source of Recipe

From "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea" by Martha Hall Foose


Recipe Introduction

"Whether cooking chicken for this specific purpose or using leftovers, a pot pie is always welcome at dinnertime. This recipe makes two double-crust savory pies. Perfect for a movie-night dinner date at home."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 cups chicken broth
◦ 2 celery stalks, leaves and all, chopped
◦ 1 large carrot, diced
◦ 1 small waxy potato, diced
◦ 4 pearl onions, peeled and halved
◦ 2 (5-ounce) bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
◦ � cup small young peas, fresh or frozen
◦ � cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
◦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦ 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
◦ ⅛ teaspoon poultry seasoning
◦ ⅓ cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing the crusts
◦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
◦ Versatile Pie Crust Dough (recipe follows)


Recipe

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth, celery, carrot, potato, and onions to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink near the bone. Remove the chicken to a dish to cool. Strain the broth, reserving the vegetables. Return the broth to the heat and simmer over medium heat to reduce to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, separate the chicken from the bones, shredding the chicken into bite-size pieces. Combine the chicken, reserved vegetables, peas, and corn.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and seasoning, and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking, for 2 minutes or until golden. Add the reduced broth slowly, whisking to combine. Whisk in ⅓ cup of the cream. Add the chicken and vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool while preparing the crusts.

Preheat the oven to 400� F. Put two 10-ounce round ovenproof baking dishes on a baking sheet. Roll out the pie dough until it is ⅛-inch thick. Cut four circles from the dough slightly larger than the rims of the baking dishes. Press one circle into the bottom of each dish. Cut out shapes in the dough for the top crusts and set aside. Spoon the filling into the crust-lined dishes. Top with the remaining crusts, pressing the edges to seal. Brush the top crusts with a little cream. Cut a small slit in the center of each to allow steam to escape.

Bake the pies for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 2





❧ Versatile Pie Dough:

"There are some things people feel they will just never make as good as their mothers'. I find this to be particularly true with pie crusts. My friend Corleigha is convinced she will never make a pie crust as good as her mother's. She lives in Mississippi, and her mother is over in Blytheville, Arkansas. Corleigha gets her momma to FedEx frozen homemade pie crusts to her. This pie crust freezes beautifully and will keep for several months in the freezer. I always figure if you are going to go to the trouble of making a little something, make a lot. You never know when you might need a pie crust. So double the recipe if the spirit moves you."

◦ 1 � cups unbleached all-purpose flour
◦ � cup cake flour
◦ 1 teaspoon salt
◦ 1 teaspoon sugar
◦ � cup (1 � sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
◦ � cup vegetable shortening or lard, cold, pinched into small pieces

Fill a small pitcher with ice water and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, and sugar. Add the chilled butter and shortening pieces and toss with flour to coat. Using your fingertips, work the shortening and butter into the flour until there are no pieces of fat larger than a black-eyed pea. Sprinkle � cup ice water over the mixture and mix with a fork to combine and form a shaggy dough.

Gather the dough into a ball. Break off pieces of dough about the size of an egg. Using the heel of your hand, smear dough on your work surface with a pushing motion away from you. Repeat until all of the dough has been smeared. Gather the dough again and pat into a ball and press down to form a disk. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Place the disk between two pieces of plastic wrap. Roll the dough in one direction, rotating the disk one-eighth turn before each roll to help keep the crust in the shape of a circle. Peel and replace the piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dough as needed as the circle gets larger. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. Remove one sheet of plastic wrap and press the naked side of the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Carefully press out any air bubbles. Remove the remaining plastic wrap from the top. Fold the edge of the dough under to create a smooth edge and crimp with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Return to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes before baking, or wrap well and freeze.

Makes one 9-inch pie crust