Chicken Pot Pie
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:20 pm
Got invited to a "pie party" last night. Being who I am I had to do something unusual so I decided that instead of something sweet I'd try this pie recipe that I had saved from Thanksgiving. The recipe is actually for leftover turkey but, since it was originally adapted from a chicken pot pie recipe, I figured that I could prolly do it with chicken. I used some packaged grilled chicken breast strips that I got at Costco.
I actually made two of them, so we could eat one for dinner before going over to the party. It also gave me a chance to experiment with the crust, as this was my first experience making a pastry crust.
A lot of work went into this, and I actually had to go out and buy the baking dishes because we didn't have anything the right size. The pie came out awesome, though. Most of the people at the party said that it was the best item on the table. The first crust came out sort of ragged but it actually added sort of a rustic look to the final product. This recipe is now on my "do again list".
http://www.latimes.com/theguide/holiday ... 5149.story
I actually made two of them, so we could eat one for dinner before going over to the party. It also gave me a chance to experiment with the crust, as this was my first experience making a pastry crust.
A lot of work went into this, and I actually had to go out and buy the baking dishes because we didn't have anything the right size. The pie came out awesome, though. Most of the people at the party said that it was the best item on the table. The first crust came out sort of ragged but it actually added sort of a rustic look to the final product. This recipe is now on my "do again list".
http://www.latimes.com/theguide/holiday ... 5149.story
Recipe: Turkey pot pie
November 26, 2008
Total time: 2 hours
Servings: 8 to 10
Note: Adapted from Bradley Ogden's recipe for chicken pot pie from his first book, "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner."
1 3/4 cups flour, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (a mixture of parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil)
Kosher salt
Scant 1/2 teaspoon sugar
9 tablespoons chilled butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon), divided
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, optional
Ice water
4 cups chicken broth (or homemade turkey stock), and more as needed
20 pearl onions, trimmed and peeled
3 carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
3 celery stalks, diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
12 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups diced red boiling potatoes, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
2 leeks, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
4 1/2 cups chopped turkey (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1 1/2 -inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
Pepper
1 egg yolk, optional
1. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, the herbs, a scant half-teaspoon salt and the sugar. Cut 6 tablespoons (three-fourths stick) butter into one-half-inch pieces and, with a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers, quickly work the butter (and optional shortening) into the flour until it is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time and no more than 5, into the mixture and fluff with a fork until the dough is just moist enough to gather into a ball. Do not overwork the dough. Flatten the ball into a disk and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to chill thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Add the onions and poach for 2 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, mushrooms and potatoes and cook at a gentle simmer until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Add the leeks and peas for the last half minute of simmering.
3. Drain the vegetables, reserving the broth. Place the vegetables in a 2 1/2 -quart baking dish and add the turkey, stirring gently to combine evenly.
4. Measure the broth, adding additional if needed to bring the volume to 4 cups. Place the broth back in the saucepan and reduce over high heat by half to 2 cups. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Make the velouté (sauce):In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Sprinkle the remaining one-fourth cup flour over the melted butter and cook, stirring constantly, to make a white roux, about 3 minutes. Do not let the roux color. Off heat, whisk the reduced broth into the roux, then stir in the cream and bring to a gentle boil. Cook just until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and season with 1 teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper, or to taste.
6. Pour the velouté over the vegetables and turkey in the baking dish, check the seasoning, and set aside. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
7. On a lightly floured board or surface, roll the dough so it is large enough to cover the top of the dish with 1 inch hanging over the side. Drape the dough over the filled dish, trimming the sides to even them out. Roll up the edges and crimp over the edge to seal the pie.
8. If you'd like, mix the egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and brush over the crust to give it a rich sheen as it bakes.
9. Slit the top of the crust in a few places to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
10. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the crust is golden and the sauce is bubbling, an additional 10 to15 minutes.
11. Let the pie rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. It will stay warm for quite a long time.