Chicken Pot Pie

Susie Crawford Beil

1 recipe pie dough (see below)

2 cups cooked, cut up or torn turkey or chicken

2 cups chicken broth (make from bouillon or use 15 ounce can low-sodium broth)

1 ½ T vegetable oil

1 med onion, chopped fine

3 med carrots, peeled and cut crosswise ¼-inch thick

2 small celery stalks, cut crosswise ¼-inch thick

Salt and pepper

4 T unsalted butter (not margarine)

½ c flour

1 ½ c milk

½ tsp dried thyme

3 T dry sherry

¾ c frozen green peas, thawed

1 T dried parsley (or 3 T fresh, minced)

subheading: Pie Dough:

(will cover one 9 x 13 pan or six 12-ounce ovenproof baking dishes)

1 ½ c all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

8 T unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼ inch pieces

2 T shortening, chilled (or butter)

3 to 4 T ice water

Make pie dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat oven to 400º. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to non-plastic bowl and stir in chicken. Set aside.

Heat butter over medium heat in empty skillet. When foaming subsides, add flour; stir and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in broth, milk, and thyme. Bring to simmer and then continue to simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly (about 1 minute). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in sherry.

Pour sauce over chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in peas and parsley. Adjust seasoning. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight; reheat before topping with pastry.) Pour mixture into 9 x 13 pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size. Top with pastry dough; bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.

subheading: Dough:

Mix flour and salt in food processor. Add butter pieces and pulse 10 times. Cut in shortening and pulse until flour resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle in 3 T ice water and pulse several times. If still crumbly, add last T water and pulse about 5 more times. Turn mixture onto a stretch of plastic wrap or wax paper. Without touching the dough, use the plastic wrap or wax paper to shape dough into a ball and then flatten into a disk. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.

When pie filling is ready, roll out dough on floured surface into a rectangle approximately 15 x 11 inches in size. (Tip: to prevent dough from sticking to rolling pin, cover dough with the plastic or wax paper as you roll it out.) Lay dough over pot pie filling, trimming overhanging dough to within ½ inch of pan lip. Fold edges under and press against side of pan; flute edges all around using your index fingers. Or, don’t trim but just tuck extra dough down into the side of the pan. Cut at least four 1-inch vent holes across top.

Bake at 400º for 3 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

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