Chicken Pot Pie Express

I grew up in the 1970s in the outer Virginia suburbs of DC, also known as the northernmost part of the South. For us, the result was that we had had chicken pot pie quite frequently, in the form of those little round Swanson frozen pies. Later we graduated to the bigger, oblong Hungry Man versions.  That was the 1970s part of the experience; the Southern part was that a couple times a year my mother would make a real chicken pot pie in a big casserole dish.

Spoiler alert: I made the big kind.

Turning to our cookbook shelf for guidance, I rightly surmised from its title that Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook by Martha Hall Foose would offer authentic direction.

Screen Doors &Sweet Tea

My first departure from the recipe was that I used boneless, skinless chicken we had on hand. During our extended social distancing, we are limiting food purchases to our weekly dairy delivery and a grocery run every 10 days. So we had chicken in the freezer that I decided to use, though we planned this meal to be prepared right after a grocery run, so that I could get the appropriate vegetables. For these, I did make a few substitutions.

Generally speaking, I doubled most of the quantities in Foose's recipe, which is intended for two small, round pies with double crusts. I did call my mother to confirm that her casserole-sized pies do not have a bottom crust. I made a simple crust with the recipe from a Crisco can because, honestly, I was feeling lazy with respect to the cold-butter approach. So I made the crust first and left it on the counter between two sheets of parchment before starting the filling.

This began with bringing a full quart of broth (probably a bit more than was needed) in a large pot and adding chopped celery, carrot, potato, and shallot (in lieu of the called-for pearl onions). I then added the chicken and boiled, covered for 20 minutes. I then removed the chicken, and poured the broth and vegetables through a strainer, retaining both.

I put the vegetables in the same bowl with the chicken, and added frozen peas and corn. I let these rest on the counter while I returned my attention to the original pot. Here I melted butter over low heat, whisked in flour and some spices (Foose calls for poultry seasoning; I used something we had on hand called "Cajun seasoning" -- anything mildly savory would be fine).  Once this was making a nice roux, I gently whisked in the broth and light cream, simmering uncovered until the broth was reduced by half. I then returned the chicken and vegetables to the pan and blended thoroughly while reheating.

I then spread the mixture into a casserole dish -- it was a perfect consistency; reducing the broth had been essential. I then sprinkled dried thyme over the entire pan before retrieving the crust from the countertop. Here is where I noticed two problems: first, I should have used cold butter, or at least chilled the shortening. I also should have made the crust while making the filling or put it in the refrigerator during the hour or more it took me to make the filling. Even though this was not a particularly warm day, the crust was a bit too sticky and difficult to handle.

I managed to get it spread onto the dish. I then brushed some cream over the crust and cut a few vents in it for steam to escape. I then baked it for close to an hour -- not the 20-30 minutes called for in the recipe. I have no idea why -- perhaps I should have read the Crisco recipe more carefully.

Nonetheless, the result was delicious and I will not let another 57 years pass before making it again!

Not all the steam escaped in the oven!

Notes: I actually simplified some of the steps to reduce dishes -- Foose calls for two different saucepans to be used. However it is done, this is a recipe that should start with all dishes and counters clean and dishwater (if available) empty, because it makes a bit of a mess!

More importantly, both the recipe and my mother call for bone-in chicken. In fact, my mother boils that chicken ahead of everything else, making her own broth. I will certainly do the same next time -- that will be the non-express version of this recipe. My mother also reports trying this once with a rotisserie chicken. She does not recommend that -- it saves cooking time, but the spices are all wrong.