Chicken Pot Pie: The Topic

[fierydrunk]

I am testing it now. I don't have a convection oven so I put them in 2 small emile henry ramekins at 300...I'll check on the crust in a bit.

[fierydrunk]

PERFECTO!!!!

Thanks Fifi!

[fifi]

*happy dance*

I am so glad it worked for you. I have found that method useful for other casserole type items that have crispies on the top like bread crumbs.

[chef koo]

it's leftovers right? if it was me i probably wouldn't care about the product. you can't expect left overs to be as good as the initial product most of the time. i'd just zap it in the microwave and let the crust be soft

[fifi]

it's leftovers right? if it was me i probably wouldn't care about the product. you can't expect left overs to be as good as the initial product most of the time. i'd just zap it in the microwave and let the crust be soft

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But no! Those of us that cook for one or two live for leftovers. They must be treated with utmost respect. And if you can make the re-run high quality, why not? Many stews, braises, gumbos and their ilk are better the next day. I endeavour to make the leftovers at least as good as, maybe better than the original. I find the microwave does funny things to the taste of meat and are a disaster to any seafood gumbo or such.

Hmmm . . . There may be a whole new topic on that.

[Luckylies]

um...yes please, some chicken pot pie recipes. I like a flaky golden crust, creamy, rich, carrot, celery, potato studded sauce and no calorie cutting!!!!!!!!!! I trust you guys. how 'bout the best of the best!

ps. are chicken pot pies hard to make? time consuming?

I'm thinking bechamel, veggies, chicken, in a pate brisee. am I really, really off target?

yes, most likely... egu help me.

[Trishiad]

i do the one from silver palate, mmm cognac. i add potatoes and peas (son loves them) and when i'm pressed for time i cover it with frozen puff pastry.

trish

[fifi]

You need go no further than here. If you cherry pick nothing else from this thread, the crust for Mayhaw Man's recipe is a real winner. Even I can make it.

[JEL]

i love a pot pie........

make em in a big cast iron skillet.........

there's just something manly and rustic about this, i can't really explain it...

anyway, i generally make a simple pie crust with flour, lard, salt and h2o....

extra flaky........

if i wanted to try something different, like a pastry type thing, what would be my best bet.........

thanks in advance, john

[taryn]

I would stick to what you're using!! (but sub butter for the lard or a combo of both....butter=more flavour!)

Or you could just do some puff pastry on the top.

[jackal10]

Puff pastry

[mhadam]

John, you could always add herbs to the crust for extra flavor. I like to add combinations of parsley, sage, thyme, even rosemary. SOmething that compliments the flavors of the filling.

[jsolomon]

Herbs, salt, butter wash, or bacon grease in the crust recipe always make for interesting crusts.

Bacon in the pot pie is always welcome, too.

[browniebaker]

I like a pastry crust on my potpie -- lard or butter, sometimes butter and cream cheese. A short, tender-flaky crust is pushed into the pie and is the perfect textural counterpoint to the gravy of the pie.

And, I must say, puff pastry on a potpie leaves me cold. Puff pastry just has a bready toughness that does not marry well with the gravy. Puff pastry is also too high falutin' for the supremely simple, humble potpie.

One of my pet peeves is the way restaurants fancify their potpies with a meretricious cover of puff pastry.

[stovetop]

"One of my pet peeves is the way restaurants fancify their potpies with a meretricious cover of puff pastry"

steve

[JEL]

while we're on the subject, what are your favorite goodies to put in the pie....

mine, i'm all about the meat. lamb, venison, pork, make a nice combo.......

also like to throw in some fancy schmancy oyster mushrooms if i can find them......

i use a little barley, rather than potato, and sweet baby peas and carrots are a must for color. biting into those peas and having them burst in your mouth is a real treat for me........

mrs jel likes hers with a dollop of sour cream on top.........

she needs to lose a few too.........

damn i'm hungry.......

[JayBassin]

i love a pot pie........

make em in a big cast iron skillet.........

there's just something manly and rustic about this, i can't really explain it...

anyway, i generally make a simple pie crust with flour, lard, salt and h2o....

extra flaky........

if i wanted to try something different, like a pastry type thing, what would be my best bet.........

thanks in advance,  john

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I agree with the posts against puff pastry. The only other suggestion is maybe some grated cheese in your crust---cheddar, colby, goat---and some herbs---whole thyme leaves especially. Sometimes I add tumeric to the crust for color, especially if its a beef or lamb pot pie.

[phatj]

Sorry to bump this very old thread, but I did some searching and couldn't find an answer to my question. I'm about to embark upon my first chicken pot pie adventure and while I'm comfortable winging it overall, I have virtually no experience with pastry and would like to draw upon that of others for advice on my crust.

The chicken that's going into my pie came from a bird that was brined, liberally rubbed with herbed butter, and roasted low-and-slow at 250F. I skimmed and kept the fat that collected in the roasting pan (in which I kept a bit of water so nothing burned). Would it be appropriate to substitute this butter/schmaltz mixture for some or all of the shortening/lard to make the crust? I looked at a lot of recipes and couldn't find a single one that suggested this, which surprised me, so maybe there's a good reason not to do this.

[zoe b]

Would it be appropriate to substitute this butter/schmaltz mixture for some or all of the shortening/lard to make the crust? I looked at a lot of recipes and couldn't find a single one that suggested this, which surprised me, so maybe there's a good reason not to do this.

I think people don't tend to use chicken fat the way the Ancestors did--maybe it will come back into fashion the way lard has.

I can't think of any reason to not use the fat mixture for part of the fat in the crust. Although chicken fat may not have qualities that render (pun) it desirable for pastry--duck & goose fat tend to only be used in frying/sauteeing, not pastry.

I say, try it, what the hay--unless someone comes along who knows a lot more than I do about chicken fat.

[poppalarge]

I Made CPP yesterday and accidently bought smoked streaky bacon instead of green bacon. The smoky flavour actually added an extra element to the creamy sauce. It was fantastic, though I say so myself

[phatj]

So I used the chicken fat for about 1/4 of the fat. The taste was pretty good, but the texture was a bit heavy. All the other fat was butter, though; I think this would have benefited from using lard or shortening, something with less moisture.

[FoodMuse]

Hi there,

Looking for chicken pot pie ideas. I have a leftover Cornish hen that deserves pie treatment. I see some variations on moistening the fillings. Some use a rue or beurre manie, some cream, some milk or chicken stock. I think I may fall somewhere in between.

I have carrot, celery, parsnip and frozen peas. Although I like classic flavors, what do you think of roasted garlic mixed in?

The search engine here just baffles me. If there's a chicken pot pie thread great, please put this post on it. But, I'd rather not be in some broad "pot pie" category. Please.

Any grand successes or failures? I can learn from both.

Grace

[Anna N]

Hi there,

.....

Any grand successes or failures? I can learn from both.

Grace

No personal experience though I mean to do it very soon but I've heard good things about Keller's recipe

[Lilija]

Wow, I've been talking about chicken pot pie for two days. I have a pretty good method, where I take the cooked shredded chicken and simmer it in broth, salt, lots of pepper, maybe some minced onion. Then I add the veggies, pretty much the exact ones you mentioned plus corn, maybe string beans if I have them, (never potatoes, potatoes and pie crust gives me the willies), simmer till mostly tender, then turn the broth into kind of a bootleg veloute, with a blonde roux. When it looks silky and wonderful, I finish with a handful of thyme or sage (or whatever else is threatening in the garden, or feels good...) and a glug of cream. I like when the chicken is almost falling apart wispy.

I put it in a deep casserole, and lay a thick slab of pie dough on it, venting, like, thicker than I'd use for regular pie. Or I plop biscuit dough on it, sort of leaving holes around the biscuits. Or, on weeknights, and I feel comfortable enough with you guys that I can say this...whack biscuits. Then I bake it till the crust looks right, and the whole thing is bubbly.

What we've been mulling over is how to do this so everyone gets more crust, with the pie crust versions. My chicken pot pie is a sloppy affair, to eat it, it's a bowl of chicken veggie stew with a little hat of crust on top. Hubs suggested making little pies in big muffin tins, with a bottom crust as well, and he might be on to something. I don't have any nice individual casseroles, so that's right out. I also considered making foldover pies with puff pastry. Or, we thought about laying a bottom crust in the casserole, blind baking it, and proceeding as usual.

Your suggestion of roasted garlic sounds like it would be awesome. I say, if it feels right, go for it.

[Special K]

I always roast the veggies rather than boiling/simmering them. But then, I do that for stews, too.

Searching the 'net to see if anybody else uses roasted veggies in their pot pies, I found this:

http://poorgirlgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/02/roasted-root-vegetable-pot-pie.html

Edited to add that I do add chicken!

Edited November 10, 2010 by Special K (log)