Let’s Talk Crust: Chicken Pot Pie Part II
So I promised I was going to talk about the crust and here goes. If you have the time make the crust from scratch - you are going through all the trouble to make an incredible chicken stew, it should be covered by the best. But I understand, it’s another step in the process and it adds time to an already long recipe. My friend recently made chicken pot pie and could not find pastry dough at the supermarket. She ended up using inverted frozen pie shells and she said it worked. Moral of the story: it’s your choice how complex you want to make this and I can almost guarantee it will be pretty darn tasty no matter what.
But if you want to make from scratch….
This crust is pretty easy but the most important thing is timing. Keep in mind, the dough needs to rest for 30 minutes before rolling out.
I like to measure out my flour on top of a paper towel. It’s easy to then take the excess, fold the paper towel and pour the flour back into the bag.
I only have a small 4 cup food processor (no room for a bigger one), so I halve the ingredients and mix in two batches. I find that this works fine for all of my dough recipes.
Use a little ice water to help the dough come together.
Form ball, wrap in plastic and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
And then roll out on floured surface.
CHICKEN POT PIE - PIE CRUST
From Food Network
Ingredients
For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper
Directions
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out the dough. Brush the outside edges of dish with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.
**Refer to Chicken Pot Pie post for complete recipe, including chicken stew directions.
