PREPARE CHICKEN AND CHICKEN STOCK
- 1 whole 3-4 lb frying chicken, thawed and skinned
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery, including leaves
- 1 small onion (yellow or red--whatever you like)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Cut chicken into big pieces so they fit comfortably in a large stock pot. Doesn't have to be pretty. Add to pot. Chop carrot, celery, and onion into large pieces and add to pot. Add salt and pepper. Add cold water until the chicken and veggies are just covered
- Bring to boil, covered, over high heat. Uncover, lower heat to medium, and simmer.
- Make pie crust (below) and leave in fridge to cool.
- After stock has been simmering for about 45 minutes, remove chicken and set aside to cool. Continue boiling vegetables. When chicken is cool enough to touch, strip away all the meat with two forks. Add bones back into pot with boiling stock and set aside stipped meat. Boil stock on high for another 30 minutes, or until reduced to about 6 cups of liquid. Set aside 2 1/2 cup for the pot pies and store the rest for another purpose.
PREPARE CRUST DOUGH
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter cut into 1/2 " cubes
- 1/4 cup chilled vegetable shortening
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- Combine flour and salt in food processor. Add chilled butter cubes and pulse about 5 times, just to combine. Add shortening, pulse a few more times, until it looks grainy like cornmeal. Stream in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing 2-3 times after each addition, just until dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers.
- Dip your hands in the ice water so they are cold, and then dry them. Remove dough from food processor and put on a clean, floured surface. Mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disc shape. Sprinkle with flour, wrap with plastic wrap, and leave in fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.
POT PIE FILLING
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ginger (optional)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3/4 cup corn (optional)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme'
- 1/2 cup dry cooking sherry
- 3/4 cup peas
- 1/2 cup corn
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 2 1/2 cup chicken stock (above)
- 1 whole chicken, stripped (above)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2-3 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Melt butter on medium heat in large skillet or saucepan. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, mushrooms, and salt. Stir, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in chicken stock, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Stir in chicken, thyme, sherry, peas, corn, and parsley. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Pour filling into 6 10 oz. ramekins or oven-safe bowls with no handles. Fill them up to 1/2 inch below top.
BAKE POT PIES
- 1 egg, mixed with 1/4 cup water
- Salt and pepper
- Roll chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thick, making sure the surface is floured. Cut to fit the bowl, with a little excess. Refrigerated pieces of dough in plastic wrap while you're not using them. Roll the circle of dough onto your rolling pin to help move it over to the pot pie bowl and place it on top. Fold excess dough under itself. Press edges down onto the lip of the bowl with a fork. Add excess pieces of dough to the top of the pot pies in any design you want. You won't want to waste that dough!
- Right before putting into preheated oven, brush pot pies with egg wash. Place pies onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut a slit in the dough to vent the pies.
- Bake on 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until the edges of the pies look golden brown and delicious. Cool and serve.
Serves 6 hungry people or 3 really hungry people.
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