Cooking Lesson #20— Dinner Pot Pies

How you doin? This has been a week of awakenings for me… I’ve learned a lot about myself.

First, I discovered that I don’t need to get a haircut at exactly 9am every third Saturday morning—it’s been 6 weeks. My hair is the longest it’s been since the ‘70’s and the extra length almost covers my bald spot. Joan offered to give me a trim, but I passed. Either way, I can always wear a hat. I also discovered I can still clip my own toenails—I really can reach past my chubby belly and do the job. It is a stretch, but still doable. I’ve learned that I don’t have to get to the office at exactly eight o’clock every day… I can take a couple of more minutes to enjoy another few sips of iced tea at home. I don’t have to get my car washed every week when it gets a little dusty—it can wait. I don’t have to take everything so seriously if others don’t—you can only care as much as your clients, family and friends.
 
All in all, you’re never too old to learn how to chill out. Allowing yourself a little extra time is liberating, giving you more time to cook some really neat foods for your family.
 
So today, let’s take that extra time to talk about making PIE. Not just any pie like apple or cherry, but great, old-fashioned entree pies—like turkey or chicken pot pies. In the hierarchy of comfort foods, a great pot pie is surely at the top of my list. It’s right up there with mac and cheese, meatloaf and creamy smashed potatoes. It’s a deeply satisfying one-bowl meal—meat and vegetables nestled in a savory gravy and tucked into a crust—who could ask for anything more? 
 
Now, don’t be intimidated to start making entrée pot pies. Making a pot pie from scratch seems like some real heavy lifting for a weeknight, but right now, what else have you got to do? The majority of the time is the passive baking time—so while it’s baking, you can enjoy a glass of wine, chill with the kids (if you’re still talking with them) or queue up another DVR episode of Judge Judy. 
 
What can you expect?  Well for starters, your family will love you for it! They will think you have risen to new culinary heights. The meat will be tender, and the veggies perfectly al dente. It will have that wonderfully creamy gravy that holds it all together.
 
Take my advice: As you’re serving it all up, divvy up that rich, buttery crust evenly. Otherwise, people will be tempted to steal chunks of it to scoop up their filling, and the last serving will be a sad, crustless affair. 
 
Read on… the cooking secrets will reveal themselves.
 
ChefSecret:  Think past ordinary chicken pot pies… you can use leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey or go for more adult flavors (and budgets) and make it a lobster, shrimp or crawfish pot pie.
 
Prep time:  45 minutes
Bake time:  20 to 30 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup onion, medium diced
1 medium baking potato, peeled, medium diced
2 celery stalks, medium diced 
3 medium carrots, thin bias cut
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup cheap dry white wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup peas, frozen
1 cup corn, frozen
3 cups bite-size pieces of chicken, turkey, lobster, shrimp or crawfish
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon lemon juice—fresh, if you got it
1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (I use Pepperidge Farms pastry)
1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash 
 
Holy-moly, you say—that’s a lot of ingredients! I’ll bet you have most of them at home. 

 Special note:  If you have a 10-inch cast iron skillet you can make this a one pot meal. If you don’t, use a regular, large-sized sauté pan for the prep and then transfer the filling into a deep-dish pie pan or casserole dish.

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400ºF.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onion, potato, celery, carrots, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, about 1 minute longer.
4. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any bits off the bottom of the skillet, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine evaporates, about 1 minute.
5. Add the flour and toss to coat the veggies. 
6. Pour in the heavy cream and stock and stir until combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the peas, corn, poultry or seafood, parsley, bay leaf, lemon juice and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and remove the pan from the heat. 
8. Note: If you're not using a cast iron skillet, transfer the filling to a deep-dish pie pan or casserole dish. 
9. Roll out the thawed puff pastry dough and cut it into a circle approximately 1 inch larger than the skillet (or pie pan). 
10. Cover the skillet with the dough, folding the overhanging dough under itself so it’s just the size of the skillet. Careful, the skillet will still be hot. Carefully press the edges of the dough into the edges of the skillet using your fingers or the back of a fork. 
11. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and cut a few slits in the center of the crust to allow steam to escape.
12. Place the skillet (or pie pan) on a foil-lined baking tray to catch any drips. Bake for 20 to minutes, or until the crust is puffed and golden brown.
13. Let the pie cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Watch for the bay leaf as you’re portioning out the pot pie and remove it before serving.

#PotPie #Casserole #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #ComfortFoods

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