As a kid I remember certain meals we had for dinner, like creamed peas over toast and liver and onions. Other meals I remember were Banquet brand chicken pot pies and meatloaf. The pot pies were always served with an extra helping of steamed carrots and peas. This particular recipe I'm going to share is in honor of the chicken pot pie dinners I remember as a child but of course they're homemade. Pie crust is one of the recipes I know almost by heart because it is so easy to remember the ingredients, but the real trick is how to handle the dough so the perfectly formed crust is tender and flaky. Alton Brown has an awesome video with boxing hand puppets and everything explaining the delicate relationship of ingredients to create both a tender and flaky crust. By far my favorite part of every pie is the crust, but in this case of my chicken pot pie both the filling and crust are perfect together, deliciously intertwined.
Sometimes the best meal isn't pretty but very delicious. I'm not a big fan of peas, in fact peas are rarely ever served at my table but this was a perfect reason to include peas.
Ingredients For Pie Crust:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
4 tablespoons cold Lard
5-7 tablespoons ice Water
Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
If you have a food processor, make your pie crust in it. Put flour, salt, and lard in the processor with the dough blade and pulse until fine crumble consistency. You may also use your finger tips to gently crumble the lard and flour together.
Slowly add the ice water to the flour, still pulsing or mix with your fingertips. Not to much, mixing to much create gluten that doesn't make a flaky tender crust. Knead until a somewhat loose disk is formed. Place dough disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Ingredients for Pie Filling:
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Carrots
1 cup frozen Peas
4 Green Onions
1 1/2 cups shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Cut the carrots into small 1/2 inch dice, cut green onions including white part into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch chunks.
Sauté carrots in olive oil over medium heat until tender.
Remove dough from the refrigerator, cut in half and roll them on flour to 1/8 inch thick rounds. place the larger round in an 8 inch tart pan or pie pan. Place the other round on a plate. Place both pie crusts in the freezer.
Melt butter in a 12 inch saute pan over medium heat until the foam has subsided. Add the flour and mix until combined and cook for a few minutes until flour taste is gone and replaced by a nutty flavor.
Add the chicken broth and cook until thickened and bubbly.
Mix in the frozen peas, sautéed carrots, green onions, and chicken.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove pie crust from freezer, pour the chicken filling in the crust. Place second pie crust on top, press and seal.
Cut slits into top crust to allow ventilation. Place pie on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
I took a piece before I took the after picture, its isn't as pretty but it was yummy.
Enjoy!
Chicken Pot Pie
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
4 tablespoons cold Lard
5-7 tablespoons ice Water
Process:
Cut the carrots into small 1/2 inch dice, cut green onions including white part into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch chunks.
If you have a food processor, make your pie crust in it. Put flour, salt, and lard in the processor with the dough blade and pulse until fine crumble consistency. You may also use your finger tips to gently crumble the lard and flour together.
Slowly add the ice water to the flour, still pulsing or mix with your fingertips. Not to much, mixing to much create gluten that doesn't make a flaky tender crust. Knead until a somewhat loose disk is formed. Place dough disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Ingredients for Pie Filling:
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Carrots
1 cup frozen Peas
4 Green Onions
1 1/2 cups shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Process:
Cut the carrots into small 1/2 inch dice, cut green onions including white part into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch chunks.
Sauté carrots in olive oil over medium heat until tender.
Remove dough from the refrigerator, cut in half and roll them on flour to 1/8 inch thick rounds. place the larger round in an 8 inch tart pan or pie pan. Place the other round on a plate. Place both pie crusts in the freezer.
Melt butter in a 12 inch saute pan over medium heat until the foam has subsided. Add the flour and mix until combined and cook for a few minutes until flour taste is gone and replaced by a nutty flavor.
Add the chicken broth and cook until thickened and bubbly.
Mix in the frozen peas, sautéed carrots, green onions, and chicken.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove pie crust from freezer, pour the chicken filling in the crust. Place second pie crust on top, press and seal.
Cut slits into top crust to allow ventilation. Place pie on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
