Monday, April 02, 2012

Chicken Pot Pie Colonial Style

Chicken Pot Pie (Print this Recipe)


When all's said and done and the kids move on to life outside our little homeschool I hope they not only take with them a love for learning, but a love for food of all cultures and time periods.  No matter what the region or time period we try to experience it through food.


Currently, I'm teaching a book study on The Witch of Blackbird Pond.  We continue to absorb life of the Colonial era.

To make the study more memorable we decided to pull out The Williamsburg Cookbook (we found this book at a library book sale for a bargain price of fifty cents!) finding a tasty treat to go along with our study.  Our oldest son had a craving for Chicken Pot Pie, so when we found the recipe we looked no further.


I must say I was completely impressed with the recipe for pie crust in this book.  So delicious!  It called for shortening, but true to form, I only used BUTTER!  Personal preference.

Here's the Pastry Recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup butter (shortening, if you prefer)
ice water

Mix the dry ingredients.  Pulse in food processor if you have one.  Blend in the butter, pulsing or use a pastry blender until mixture has a crumbly consistency.

Moisten with enough ice water to hold dough together.  Be careful as not to add too much water.  It should be a little crumbly still.

Roll out between two sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper.  Peel off one side of paper and place in pie pan.  Remove other side of paper.  Do the same with top crust and place on pie.

King's Arms Tavern Chicken Pot Pie
(Printable Recipe)


2 1/2 -3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Put the chicken on to cook in a large saucepan with enough water to cover.  Add 2 celery ribs (chopped), onion, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Bring the water to boil, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook until the chicken is done.

Strain the stock.  Reserve the chicken stock.

Cut chicken into pieces.


Reserved Chicken Stock
Meanwhile, prepare:

4 ribs celery, diced (cooked)
4 carrots, sliced and diced (cooked)
1 3/4 cups potatoes, diced (cooked)
1- 10 ounce package peas, frozen (cooked)

Boil above briefly until they are cooked, but not mushy.


Briefly boil vegetables until cooked

Strain water


In a large pan melt:

1/2 cup butter
Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Cook five minutes, stirring constantly.  Add enough chicken stock, stirring constantly, to achieve the consistency of the sauce desired.

Simmer 5 minutes, Add salt and pepper to taste.

Melting Butter

Stir in flour

Gradually add reserved chicken stock, continue to stir


Place pie crust in bottom of pie dish.  Add cooked chicken vegetables to the butter/flour sauce.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Roll out pie crust between two sheets of waxed paper dusted with a bit of flour

Peel off one layer of waxed paper

Invert crust on pie plate.  Peel off other piece of waxed paper.


Pour chicken mixture in pie plate

Top with other rolled out pie crust

Brush with egg and milk mixture

Bake until golden brown

Serve

This was all that was left after first round...this last piece was eaten before bedtime.

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