First up, get some chicken thighs (4) for around 5 bucks at Walmart, or wherever. Boil them with salt and pepper, maybe a bay leaf, in a pot for around 30 minutes. Then remove the boiled thighs to your fridge in a bowl to cool down. Keep the water they were boiled in, this is your stock, chicken stock.
In the meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in yet another pot. Add 2 sliced carrots, a small chopped onion, a sliced stick of celery, and maybe some garlic, your call. Simmer these in the butter for 5 minutes or so. Wow, look at that, vegetables. So very healthy.
Next step, add 1/3 cup of flour to the simmering veg. Stir it about, then pour 2 cups of your homemade chicken stock into the mix, followed by a cup or so of frozen peas. Stir that too and watch in wonder as it reaches creamy consistency. If it doesn't, add more flour, if it's too thick add more stock. While you're at it, apply salt, pepper and a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce.
Let it all combine and simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring. In the meanwhile, you've removed all the chicken from the bone, fed the dog with chicken skins, chopped up some mushrooms, washed up and... added chicken and mushroom to the pot.
Stir it up. Let it simmer. No need to rush and freak out, have a glass of wine and admire your pistol, or kukri. Bull up a shoe, a gas mask, clean a gas regulator, shine a cap badge or whatever comes to hand. Reverie over, unfold some unfrozen puff pastry, roll it out on a floured surface and stand by, you're almost there.
Pour the pie mix into whatever counts as your pie dish. Cover the mix with a rolled out sheet of pastry, maybe add some leftover pastry bits to the thing by way of fun. No matter, your call, then put it in a 375* preheated oven for around 30 minutes.
At the end of which, take the pie out of the oven and fall upon your scoff.
Like a warrior,
LSP
Sounds and looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThat snow and freeze we had last week reminded me to check my stocks for baking bread. I'm temped to try and make a pastry dough like that, but would use it for a pie. Have to see what's available at the farmers market. Maybe some raspberries would be nice....
I've never made pastry, drjim, but go through a bread phase now and again tasty.
DeleteCongrats on your new rig. Nice!
I hadn’t realised I was in the (e)presence of the Delia Smith of Dallas.
ReplyDeleteI’m shocked at how you’ve obviously ‘gone native’ - chicken pot pie indeed! A true (former) Brit would at least have made steak and kidney pudding (OK I detest it myself, but having been brought, or possibly dragged, up on such ‘good’ northern staples as suet puddings, mince and dumplings, bread puddings, and fried … everything, with every spare moment crammed with butties made with stotty cake, I question the ‘manliness’ of chicken pot pies. Oh OK, I’m partial to a chicken, bacon and mushroom myself).
And, being late to the party, what’s with the khukri? As a ‘bit’ of a knife fanatic (OK I really need an intervention because I can’t move for all of them – my current duty favourite is an Extrema Ratio Requiem, with a Benchmade SOCP dagger as a ‘pointy, stabby get off me thing’ addition) it’s interesting to see how regional and national ‘tools’ have been adopted elsewhere and imbued with ‘power’ and ‘spirit’ that a local would find ‘amusing’. The leuku, hukari, barong, and yes the khukri are really only the locals version of what, at least in Britain, would be the billhook (a general, workaday cutting tool, viewed locally much as you or I would view our kitchen knife or secateurs). So shouldn’t you be carrying a Bowie?
Is it more of ‘the exotic’ at work again, do you think?
That's weird, Anon, I never much liked steak and kidney pie either. Steak and mushroom? Different story, and works well with leftiver roast, I always think.
ReplyDeleteThe kukri's a gift from LL who came by a few years ago. We had big fun shooting up the countryside. Playing card, meet Colt Python, sorta thing.
But yes, it should have been a BOWIE. Next time.
My word! What a feast! One question: Why isn't there any wine in it? Yes...think on!
ReplyDeleteJuliette, you're right. Cut the W sauce, add WINE.
DeleteI'm with Jules - a bit of wine would be nice.
ReplyDeleteLSP - you NEED an Instant Pot. I can't tell you how much better that chicken would be after just 10 or so minutes in the pressure cooker. You'll still have plenty of healthy stock too. When chicken thighs are on sale, I run a bunch through the IP and vacuum seal them for quick meals.
Yesterday I did my first country style ribs with sauerkraut in the Instant Pot. I've done lots of ribs, but never with sauerkraut. So I browned the ribs, threw them in the pot, took my sauerkraut seasoned with some brown sugar and a chopped up apple (German style) and piled it on top. 40 minutes later I had the most fabulous ribs + sauerkraut I've ever had.
There's a new Instant Post which also has an air fryer function too. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET ONE!!! https://amzn.to/2ZGYIzI
I've been pondering the instant pot, Adrienne.
DeleteYour ribs sound delicious!
LSP
ReplyDeleteI hope you remembered to give him a penny.
I'm not superstitious, I just make sure I never walk under any black cats.
Very sound advice, Anon...
DeleteThis post makes sticking to my food plan very difficult.
ReplyDelete