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Entree: Chicken Potpie *

Source of Recipe

Joyce Rosencrans - hgtv.com


List of Ingredients

1 (7-lb.) stewing hen (see note)
1 celery rib, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 carrot, cubed
1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1-1/2 cups light cream
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sliced sugar snap peas
salt; milled pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. crumbled dried sage
2 tsp. vegetable shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk




Recipe

Place stewing hen in a large pot and cover with water. Add celery, carrot, quartered onion and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; skim off foam, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove chicken from pot. Strain broth, reserving 3 cups for this recipe. Remove chicken meat from bones and dice into 1-inch pieces. Measure out 2 cups or so for this recipe.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and saute the chopped onion and thyme until onion is limp. Add the 3 cups chicken broth and the cream. Simmer to reduce sauce by half, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of the flour over liquid and whisk quickly to blend. Add the chicken. Parboil the peas until they turn bright green, about 1 minute. Add peas to chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Have oven heating to 400 degrees.

Place chicken mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish. For crust, sift together the remaining 2-1/2 cups flour, the salt, baking powder and soda. Add parsley and sage. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles gravel and sand. Stir in buttermilk, using just enough to moisten mixture. Spoon dough topping onto chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Note: Because stewing hens are hard to find, substitute a large broiler-fryer or about 4 pounds of chicken parts, mostly dark meat. Boost flavor of broth by adding instant bouillon granules to water while simmering. Measure out required amounts of broth and boned chicken, diced. When thickening the sauce, sprinkling all-purpose flour over hot liquid is risking lumps. Make a cold-water flour paste to be sure the flour can be whisked in without lumping. Or sprinkle on Wondra flour, which does not lump in hot liquids. If using frozen sugar snaps, omit parboiling and simply slice partially thawed pea pods.

Yield: 6 servings, Prep: 1-1/2 hours, Baking: 20 minutes