THE REAL, OLD FASHIONED, CHICKEN POT PIE

[Osh]

....posted on a recipe board this morning...way too good to let slip away

THE REAL, OLD FASHIONED, CHICKEN POT PIE


Hen pecks cook, Hen Sunday dinner!

Frozen foods companies started calling chicken pie, 'pot pie.' Prior to that, pot pie was made atop the stove: about like chicken & dumplings. Pie dough was rolled out, cut into diamond shapes,or squares, allowed to dry and dropped into the simmering stew shortly before serving. This is how my great-great- grandmother learned to make it when she was a little girl during the civil war.
Back then, all chickens were 'organic' & one could actually get a stewing hen, complete with egg-bag, probably because they raised their own chicks. The un-laid-eggs were added to the simmering stew & every little kid got a yolk.
The vegetables used depended on what was in season--And not too ear ... celery was often tres cher. Same goes for fresh peas.
I remember going to the market with Granny, she saw the first spring peas & exclaimed, "Oh, lord, I hain't had a good pea all winter!"
The grocer, bent double, told her his ulcer was acting up.

Get the biggest chicken you can find 4-pound-or-more. One that big will probably need be singed, the, 'scrub' it with a handful of salt and rinse with cold water.

If you like, get a dozen small eggs & drop the whole yolks carefully into the simmering stew about five minutes before serving--Don' t stir.




************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ****

CHICKEN POT PIE #1

1 (4 lb.) Chicken, cut up
12 c. water
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 rib Celery, diced
4 Med. thin-skin potatoes, peeled & quartered (about 1 lb.)
1 lg. onion, coarsely chopped
4 lg. Carrots, cut into 1 inch disks
2 T. chopped parsley

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 tbsp. Shortening
1 egg,beaten
1/3 c. water

Simmer chicken in water with salt, pepper, and celery
about one hour or until tender.
As chicken cooks, skim surface occasionally.
Lift chicken from pot and remove skin and bones.
Return meat to pot.
Add potatoes, onions, and carrots.
Bring to boil and cook 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in parsley.

As chicken and vegetables boil, prepare pot pie by
combining flour, salt, and baking powder.
Cut in shortening until mixture is cracker-meal fine.
Stir in egg and water.
Use a rolling pin to roll out dough very thin (about 1/8th
inch) on lightly floured board.
Cut into 2 inch squares.
Drop squares in simmering chicken and vegetables.
Cover and cook another 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve in wide bowls.
Serves 6.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

CHICKEN POT PIE #2 ~ Southern

2 c. Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. Shortening
3/4 c. milk
4 drops yellow food coloring

Stewing chicken
1/2 lg. onion
3 stalks celery
3 sliced carrots or 1 cup of whole baby carrots.
Lg. can chicken broth
4 or 5 diced potatoes

Blend first 4 items; then add milk and food coloring.
Make 4 balls of dough and roll on floured board until very thin
cut into squares about 2 x 2 inches
place pieces on floured dish
continue rolling pot pie until "there just ain't no more".

Cook stewing chicken with celery and onions.
When cooked remove chicken - strain broth and return to pot
with large can of chicken broth.
Add Potatoes and cook 10 minutes.
Remove chicken from bones.

When potatoes are almost cooked add pot pie, 1 piece at a
time into boiling broth - shake the pot--then add chicken
put lid on pot and cook for 25-30 minutes. Do not remove
lid until completely cooked.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

CHICKEN POT PIE #3 [Old Time]

1 (2 to 4 lb.) chicken, cut up
4 med. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 med. onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Extras like carrots, parsley, turmeric may be added
for extra flavor and color


POT PIE DOUGH SQUARES:

2 eggs
2 c. flour
Pinch of salt
2 to 3 tbsp. milk or cream

Cook chicken in 2 quarts of water until partly tender.
Then
add onions, potatoes, carrots, parsley, turmeric. Cook
until they are completely tender. Remove chicken, remove
meat from bones and set aside. Then make pot pie dough.
Break eggs into flour work together adding milk or cream,
to make soft dough. Roll out the dough on a floured board,
roll thick or as thin as you like. Cut into 1 x 2 inch
rectangles with knife or pizza cutter. Bring chicken broth
to a boil. Drop squares into boiling broth and cook for 20
minutes or until tender. Return chicken to broth and serve
steaming hot.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

CHICKEN POT PIE #4 {Simple]

POT PIE DOUGH:

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 to 3 tbsp. water

To make pot pie dough, make a well in the flour and add
the
eggs and salt. Work together into a stiff dough. If too
dry, add water or milk. Roll out the dough as thin as
possible (1/8 inch) and cut in 1 inch squares with a knife
or pastry wheel. Drop into the boiling broth.


POT PIE:

1 chicken, 4 lb. preferably a hen
1 tsp. salt
4 med. potatoes, slices
3 med. carrots--sliced.
2 tbsp. minced parsley

Cut chicken into serving pieces, cover with water and cook
until tender.
Season with salt when chicken is almost soft and add the
sliced potatoes and squares of pot pie dough.
Cook 20 minutes longer or till potatoes stick done.
Add chopped parsley.

[Zinniagirl]

I love real chicken pot pie. I would gladly make it more often if DH wouldn't insist that it is not real chicken pot pie without hot bacon dressing. I don't know why I don't mind doing all the other work for the pot pie, but think the hot bacon dressing is just too much effort. Maybe its because I never heard of putting it on the pot pie until I met DH and think it ruins all that work . (If I do make him the hot bacon dressing, I certainly don't put it on my serving)

[ovenbird]

Interesting post Osh. I never heard of the egg bag before. Not a farm girl.

[Osh]

...indeed...hot bacon dressing....mmmm boy...my mother in law used to take hot bacon grease and pour over fresh spinach and called it spinach salad....I tried it. Once. If I remember right the bacon went to the dog, as it was just the grease that went over the spinach.

[MukkRatt]

Thanks for the recipes. I suppose there are as many ways to make chicken pot pie as there are people but to me it's all good. LOL I cook according to my mood...if I'm feeling lazy I don't roll out any dumplings...just make some biscuit dough and drop it in the stew pot by the spoonful...sometimes I put the chicken 'stew' in a roasting pan, make some biscuit dough & bake the biscuits on top of the stew...so it's not a 'pot pie'...more like a cobbler. haha 'Chicken Cobbler'
The dumplings made with egg sounds interesting and I am going to try that.
(Now you've made me hungry for a chicken pot pie...)

[Osh]

[Zinniagirl]

Originally Posted by MukkRatt

...(Now you've made me hungry for a chicken pot pie...)

Me too, gonna hafta pick up a chicken when I go for milk at the dairy this afternoon. Unfortunately, his chickens are all frozen so we'll have to wait for the pot pie, but they taste sooooooo good.

[Bebop]

I got this recipe online some time back...I had always hated chicken pot pie. This recipe, made exactly as written, turned me right around.

* 1 cup potato, diced
* 1 cup onion, diced
* 1 cup celery, diced
* 1 cup carrot, diced
* 1/3 cup melted margarine
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
* 2 pie crusts (either store bought or your own recipe)

Directions

1.
1
Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.
2
Saute onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter for 10 minutes.
3.
3
Add flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well Cook one minute stirring constantly.
4.
4
Combine broth and half and half.
5.
5
Gradually stir into vegetable mixture.
6.
6
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
7.
7
Stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well.
8.
8
Pour into shallow 2 quart casserole dish and top with pie shells.
9.
9
Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
10.
10
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.

[lorna-organic]

The best chicken pot pie I ever tasted was in a New Mexico restaurant. It was made with large dice chicken breast, roasted green chilies and topped with crisp puff pastry. There was nothing else inside of the pie except chicken and green chilies.

[Osh]

BeBop, thanks for the recipe...I can't wait to try that one

and Lorna, that green chili chicken pot pie sounds absolutely delicious. By the way, do you know of any brand of canned green chile that really do roast and peel them? Orgega used to, but Old El Paso, etc. sure don't...cooking with those unpeeled ones make for disgusting cuisine to say the least