Chicken Pot Pie

Why is it that with every other pie I can title the post "Fresh Raspberry" or "Spiced Pumpkin", but I can't call this one "Chicken Pot"? Just doesn't work without the "Pie" at the end. But, boy does this pie work. If it were easier to make, mr. and I would both gain 50 pounds this year. Because I would make it once a week. Thankfully, it's a time consuming process. But so worth it.


It was nice to be back to making a regular pie crust. It seemed like weeks...which I guess it literally has been. I went to Lehi Roller Mills last week and stocked up on their Peacock All-Purpose Flour for general baking and Pastry Flour for pie dough. Their products aren't organic, but they are local and high quality (and I know the owners through my parents, so it kind of feels like buying from a neighbor). I can feel the difference as I work bread dough and pie dough with my hands. This flour is so much more fine and soft. I love it.

This pie. Was delicious. I don't know if I've ever had homemade pot pie. In fact, I don't think I've ever had anything but frozen pot pie. There's a world of difference. I don't think mr. has ever been so excited about food. The onions give a wonderful flavor. The vegetables are cooked, but still have some texture and aren't mushy (the potatoes need to be cut to the same size dice as the carrots--mine were bigger, they weren't raw by any means, but they were slightly undercooked).


The sauce is creamy but not too thick.


And the crust just surrounds it all with buttery goodness. (I did brush the inside of the crust with egg white hoping that the liquids wouldn't soak through the bottom crust and make it gummy--whether it was because of that or not, the crust was perfect)


It served up so nicely. I was sure that once I cut into it and removed a piece, the liquid would flow everywhere and it would be an impossible mess. Not at all. There's so much meat and vegetables in there that it really holds together. Some of the sauce leaks here and there, but that's part of the point with pot pie, right?

I'm looking forward to trying this with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. That may, in fact, be the next time I make this recipe. For the sake of my waistline.

It was a perfect winter meal. In the sticks-to-your-ribs way. I topped it off by making pie dough cookies from the leftover dough. The Pie Queen used to do this when we were kids, but I had forgotten about it until The Piper's daughter reminded me around Thanksgiving. They had made some (just roll out the dough, cut it into rounds with a biscuit cutter and bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes) and sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar. I had to give that a try. With vanilla ice cream. So delicious. Like a flat churro.


Pie Rating--Chicken Pot Pie--KEEPER

And, a bonus video for your enjoyment. Just so you know what was running through my head the whole time I was making this particular meat pie:



Other baking projects this week: No-Knead French Bread, Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins, and Cream Biscuits (which I neglected to photograph, but they were easily one of the more delicious things I've ever baked).

Next up: I realize I may have bitten off more than I can chew, switching my focus off pie and onto general baking. It leaves me with not just a world, but a universe of possibilities to choose from. I've discovered that The Joy of Cooking (I have the 1997 edition) is a great source for ideas for old-fashioned recipes. But in the edition I own, they've already done some of my work for me, they've altered the recipes to suit modern tastes. Meh. I want to try a real old-fashioned Pound Cake. With ingredients measured by the pound. Oh yeah. This should be interesting.

Midweek Kitchen Confessions 3: Cleverness is next to godliness

If I was clever, I would have thought of something like this.

If I was a plagiarizer, I would use "Keep Your Fork. There's Pie!" as my tagline.

I am neither clever, nor a plagiarizer, so I simply give you this for your enjoyment:





Consider it the anthem of Thank God It's Pie-Day!

Quiche Lorraine

My house smells like bacon. Which isn't inherently a bad thing. For the first 12 hours. After that, I need a little good weather to air things out. But, the smell is worth putting up with.

Here's the recipe I used this week. Good ol' Emeril.

I used crust leftover (and frozen) from last week. I thought I was about to have a problem, that it might be too tough after freezing and thawing, because as I rolled it out it kept sort of springing back. But, I needn't have worried.


Like I said last week, I think I'm almost there. Mom (the pie queen) and Dad (apparently the pie king) were right, it needed a little more time in the prebaking to make it more tender and bring out the buttery flavor. I might have given it a little too much time in the prebaking.


Looks great here, but then had to cook for another 45 minutes with the filling inside. It was slightly burnt around the edges*, but still delicious. Here's the thing: I don't want the crust to be so flaky that it bursts apart like powdered sugar when you cut into it and serve. I want it to hold together until it's hit with the side of a fork, then it can flake apart. Which this one did, perfectly.


The filling couldn't be easier. Or tastier. As mr. said, "Why would a real man not eat quiche? Egg, bacon, onions and cheese in a pie crust? What's not to like?"


It was a delicious brunch. And it was also delicious later when it was cold and I ate it while watching Mythbusters. I prefer it warm, but cold would do in a pinch.

And here is what I sang to myself the whole time I was cooking--

The B-52's Quiche Lorraine Live:

New this week: Pie-Rating--Quiche Lorraine--KEEPER

Next up: Seconda has requested Banana Cream Pie, I think I'll actually do a Black Bottom Banana Cream, combining this recipe and this one (I'd rather not use gelatin if I can avoid it--I don't know why, it just doesn't seem like real food). I think I'll stick to the same ingredient portions for the crust as I used last week, with maybe a little less flour. Still working up my courage to try a nut crust.


*I did purchase a crust shield for 9" pies. It's not actually big enough for 9" pies (?!). So, I have to get the 10" one.

Return to the Pie Hole

Tonight is the long-awaited season premiere of Pushing Daisies, part of what made me want to teach myself the skill of piemaking. I won't be able to watch it live because I'll be rehearsing. If I was not rehearsing I would be busily making pie to eat while watching. I'm recording it though, so I can enjoy it with pie, maybe...Sunday. If you like pie (and quirky TV programs) (and hilarious performances by brilliant Broadway actors) give it a watch. I think you'll like it.