Showing posts with label pies and bakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pies and bakes. Show all posts
Chicken Pot Pie. There is nothing that brings to mind the picture of comfort, family and Home-Sweet-Home more than Chicken Pot Pie. Just the thought of an old fashioned chicken pot pie recipe can get our taste buds to tingling!
If you are a small family, an empty nester or a singleton all on your own, you may think that having a homemade chicken pot pie is no longer in your future. That you will be relegated to eat nothing for the rest of your days, but frozen single sized pot pies that never quite live up to your dreams and leave you wanting more.
That is not to say that there is anything wrong with frozen chicken pot pies. Some of them are actually quite good, but there is not a one that can quite come up to the deliciousness of a nice homemade one!
Of course you could make a full sized pot pie and break it down into four single pies, eating one now and freezing three for later. If you are like me however, your freezer space is probably quite limited.
All I have at the moment is the freezer section on the top of my refrigerator. Hardly ideal or large enough to hold very much really.
Today I decided that I was going to make myself a chicken pot pie sized just for one. For me, and that it was going to be a chicken pot pie that lived up to every dream of pot pie I have ever had!
My mother made the best pot pies. Whenever we had a roast dinner of any kind, we could be pretty certain that some of the leftovers and the gravy would be made into a pot pie. They were delicious.
As delicious as they were however, all of us got really excited when my mom bought us good frozen pot pies. (not the cheap ones) There was something about that tender chicken meat and those vegetables in that creamy white gravy that sang the song of our pot pie loving hearts!
Am I wrong? Isn't there something about a good quality frozen pot pie (say a Stouffler's) that is incredibly delicious? Probably about the worst thing I could say about them is not enough chicken or vegetables.
I wanted to recreate that, and to recreate it just for me. However, I wanted a thick and creamy white sauce, filled with lots of tender pieces of chicken breast and vegetables.
I also wanted a tender and flaky crust that was both pleasing to the eye and to the tongue. My butter/lard pastry is the best pastry going. (scroll down the page of the link for the recipe) I didn't want to have to make a full recipe of it however, just to top a single serve pot pie.
I managed to reduce the quantities to make a beautiful butter/lard pastry topping that was perfectly sized for my single serve pie. This is the BEST pastry.
It is flaky and butter, melts in your mouth . . . and at the same time crisp edged. I love, LOVE it.
Of course you could use a small amount of a store purchased pastry or even puff pastry. For me, however, it had to be my butter/lard pastry.
Remember those chickens I bought and cut up for freezing? I used one of the breasts to make this pie. It was sufficient enough to give me plenty of chicken and even some stock for the gravy/sauce.
Chicken with the skin and bone will give you the nicest flavored stock, no stock cubes needed. And it is really very easy and quick to make. Just follow my instructions and you will end up with perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast meat and beautifully flavored stock.
The pies of my childhood were filled with peas, carrots, corn and green beans. Never any potato, unless my mom had made them. I know I could have used a few tablespoons of frozen mixed vegetables for this which would have worked great.
I didn't have any however, so I cooked a small quantity of carrot and added some frozen peas, corn and chopped green beans.
The sauce is your basic cream sauce, broken down to make only 1/2 cup in total of sauce. You start by sautéing a small amount of onion and celery in some butter, just to soften it. You don't want it to brown.
Into that you add an equal amount of flour. Cook for a minute to cook out the flour taste and then whisk in a small amount of stock and milk. Equal amounts.
A tiny bit of seasoning, some summer savory and you end up with a sauce that is very reminiscent of those pies of our childhoods. Rich, creamy, delicious. Not too thick, not too thin.
I stirred the chicken and vegetables into that (well drained of course) to make a beautiful, perfectly sized, ample filling for my pie.
This got put into my one sole surviving blue cup. I had quite a number of pretty large cups that I could use to bake pies in. Unfortunately, this is the only one that made the journey over from the UK unscathed.
I lost the pretty blue plates that matched as well, but never mind. Its only stuff and you can't take it with you, plus it makes this one even more precious and beloved.
I rolled out the pastry, set it on top and fluted it all around very prettily. I thought it was pretty anyways.
Twenty minutes later I was rewarded with a delicious pot pie just for moi! The filling was really wonderful, rich, creamy and filled with plenty of tender chicken and vegetables.
The crust was golden brown on the edges, flaky and short textured. I don't know about you, but I call this a result!
It really didn't take an awful lot of effort and was fabulously tasty. All natural ingredients. Hand crafted with not a preservative in sight.
My pot pie craving has been sated for the immediate future . . . at least until I am craving one again. Its nice to know that with only the tiniest bit of time and effort I can have something much more delicious than a frozen pie, and perfectly sized just for me.
Chicken Pot Pie (for one)
Yield: 1
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 40 Min
You may think that because you are only one you can't enjoy a lovely chicken pot pie that is homemade. Not true. This pie is delicious, easy to make and perfectly sized just for you!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 small, bone in, skin on, chicken breast
- cold water to cover
- 1/2 medium sized carrot
- 1/2 small onion, peeled
- 1 6-inch piece of celery with the leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 small bay leaf
For the vegetables:
- 1/2 medium sized carrot, peeled and cubed
- 2 TBS frozen peas
- 2 TBS frozen corn
- 4 whole green beans sliced into 1/2 inch lengths
For the sauce:
- 1/2 TBS butter
- 1/2 TBS flour
- 1 TBS minced onion
- 1 TBS minced celery
- 1/4 cup (60ml)chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp summer savory
For the pastry:
- 3 TBS all purpose plain flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 (1/2-inch) cube of cold butter
- 1 (1/2-inch) cube of cold lard
- 1 tsp ice water (or as needed)
Instructions
- First cook your chicken. Put the chicken breast into a saucepan along with the other ingredients and just barely cover with cold water.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove from the heat and remove the chicken from the saucepan, setting it aside to cool.
- Reserve 1/4 cup (60ml) of the stock it cooked in, discarding the remainder.
- Add your carrot to a small saucepan of boiling water, cook until crispy tender. Add the frozen vegetables. Remove from the heat and set aside for a few minutes, then drain well and cool.
- For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and celery. Cook over low heat to soften, stirring frequently. Do not allow to brown.
- Whisk in the flour. Mix together the stock and milk. Slowly whisk this into the flour/butter mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Leave to simmer for several minutes. Add the salt, pepper and summer savoury. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Keep warm.
- Remove the chicken from the bone, discarding both the bone and the skin. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Put into a bowl along with the cooked and drained vegetables. Pour the sauce over top and mix well to combine.
- Pour this mixture into a small oven-proof dish capable of holding it all and place the dish onto a small baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6.
- Measure the flour and salt for the pastry into a bowl. Drop in the butter and lard and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in the water (you may need extra) to make a soft dough.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured board and shape into a flat round, then roll out with a rolling pin, 1/4 inch thick to a round large enough to cover your baking dish.
- Place the pastry on top of the filling in the dish and crimp the edges all around. Vent in a few places with a knife.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Lemon Blueberry Turnovers . . . is there any more delicious flavour combination on the earth than the combination of lemon and blueberry??
I think not . . .
Combine that with flaky buttery puff pastry and you have a marriage made in heaven! This is the perfect time of year to be enjoying blueberry treats!
What is a turnover but a little pie, and these ones are so easy to make!
The filling is very simple to make and they cook in literally minutes, which makes them perfect for the summer months when you don't want to be heating up the kitchen!
I’m all for easy. How about you?
You only need a few ingredients as well. Puff pastry. Blueberries. Bueberry Jam. Lemon Curd.
Plus an egg wash to brush over and seal the edges.
The glaze is simple as well, just icing sugar and lemon juice . . . perfect.
I always have puff pastry in the freezer and lemon curd in the refrigerator. I also always have blueberry jam. I use Bonne Maman . . .
Wild Blueberry Jam . . . it reminds me of home.
I spent many a summer bent down low picking wild blueberries for my mother. Hot and painstaking work. They grow low to the ground.
It takes quite a few to fill a bucket, but their flavour is exemplary. Cultivated ones never quite come up to the flavour of the wild berry.
Mom never made jam with them, just pies. I used to make jam and pies and cakes, muffins, etc. You could usually buy big crates of wild blueberries at the farmers market.
They did cost a lot more than the ones you picked yourself, but . . . sometimes you know, its just worth it.
We grow our own cultivated blueberries in our garden, but when I saw frozen wild blueberries for sale on Ocado, I jumped at the chance to buy a bag.
They were not cheap but I knew their flavour would be amazing.
I sacrificed some of them to make these lush turnovers today. Mixed with a bit of wild blueberry jam, they made for an excellent filling.
I also added some lemon curd . . . because you know, blueberries and lemon . . . perfect.
This was the perfect blend of tart and sweet . . . perfect.
Although I did brush the squares of puff pastry well with an egg wash to help seal the edges and gild the top, I had blow outs . . . which upset me a bit . . . but then I realised . . .
The little blown out bits add to their beauty! And they get nice and sticky as well, which is why you really need to use baking paper and then scoop them off to a cooling rack pronto!
There is no mistaking that these are blueberry turnovers!
That combination of sweet/tart filling . . . that flaky buttery pastry . . . the sweet lemon glaze . . .
Doesn't this just look like a pair of sweet kissable blueberry filled lips? Mmmm . . . kiss . . . kiss!!
Lemon Blueberry Turnovers
Yield: 6 - 8 turnovers
Lemon and blueberry are one of the nicest combinations. These are quick and easy and oh-so-delicious!
Ingredients:
- 125g fresh or frozen blueberries (1 1/4 cup)
- 1 heaped dessert spoon of wild blueberry jam (about 1/3 cup)
- 6 - 8 TBS good quality lemon curd
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 1 large free range egg yolk beaten with 1 TBS cream
To glaze:
- 65g icing sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 TBS lemon juice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. (Do not skip this step.)
- Stir the blueberries together with the blueberry jam.
- Unroll the puff pastry. Cut into 6 to 8 even squares (depending on the size of your sheet).
- Beat the egg yolk together with the cream. Brush the edges of each square with some of this.
- Place 1 TBS of lemon curd on one half of each pastry square. Top with about 2 TBS of the blueberry mixture. Fold the half without the filling over to cover the filling and press the edges sealed with the tines of a fork. Place onto the baking sheet leaving plenty of space between. Make a few steam vents in the top of each and brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining egg wash.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until well risen and golden. Scoop off onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle decoratively over top of the turnovers. Allow to set before serving.
- Best served on the day.
These are quite simply beautiful. To look at. To eat. To enjoy! Happy weekend!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Chicken & Ham Pie. If you are like me you carry a whole arsenal of chicken and ham recipes. That is recipes engineered to use leftovers! This is a recipe I meant to share with you yesterday but with all of the upset of my husband's fall and everything, I never got around to it.
Normally I would make a better presentation of it as well, showing you what you can serve on the side, but again with the accident fall, that just didn't get done!
Nevermind, its the pie you are here to see. And this is one heck of a tasty pie!
Its a great example of making something delicious from what you have at hand to use!
I love the crust for this. It uses a fat combination of lard and butter, along with flour, baking powder, onion salt and milk.
Normally I would use all milk, but we are rationing to make our milk last longer and so I used half milk half water, and you know what? It was every bit as delicious as always.
It is a lovely tender and flaky crust, and the onion salt gives it a bit of a savoury flavour that works really well with the fillings.
It is the same crust that I use in my Hamburger & Chicken Pie (Don't knock it til you try it) and it is lovely, with a beautifully flaky texture.
I had leftover chicken from my roast chicken that we had the other day so I used some of that. I also had a package of deli ham slices in the refrigerator that needed using.
Chicken and ham are a very popular pie combination over here, so I thought why not! Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!
It does use a tin of cream of chicken soup in the fillings also, but no worries if you don't have any.
Make a thick cream sauce, using 2 TBS flour, 2 TBS butter, 240ml/1cup of chicken broth and 240ml/1 cup of milk. It works just as well.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, cook for a few minutes, then whisk in the broth and milk. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and then cook for a few minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Let it cool completely before you use. You don't want to melt the fat in the pastry.
There are three layers of pastry in this. A bottom crust. A middle crust between the chicken and the ham fillings.
A top crust to tuck it all in nicely. Brush it with a bit of milk, if desired and bake.
That pastry is heavenly and the fillings are pretty tasty also. If you have any pastry trimmings, this is what my mom used to do with them.
She would roll them out, spread them with butter, fold in half and then cut into squares. We would enjoy them with soup. Oh so tasty instead of crackers and bread and no waste of anything.
Like I said, normally I would have shown you what to serve with this tasty pie. But today you will have to settle with my recommendations.
My husband likes mashed potatoes with his, with peas and gravy. (He is so British.) You could also have oven chips.
The Canadian in me prefers coleslaw or a salad with mine. Yesterday I had pickled beets, due to a lack of salad ingredients in the house.
Truth be told, this pie would be great even on it's own! Tina stopped by yesterday to pick up her CFM printouts on the BOM I had been doing for her and I gave her two slices to take home for her and Tony's supper.
She was most appreciative and we will have the rest for our dinner today! I don't think anyone will be complaining that it is leftovers!
Chicken & Ham Pie
Yield: 6
This is a simple recipe in which a little bit of meat goes a very long way. The pastry is heavenly and altogether this is quite, quite delicious.
Ingredients:
For the chicken filling:
- 250g cooked chicken, cut into small bits (2 cups)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1/2 (295g)tin of condensed cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 ounce tin)
For the ham filling:
- 250g sliced deli ham chopped (about 8 ounces)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1/2 (295g)tin of condensed cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 ounce tin)
For the pastry:
- 115g of lard (4 ounces)
- 115g butter (4 ounces)
- 420g plain flour (3 cups)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp onion salt
- 160ml milk (2/3 cup) (I used half milk, half water)
Instructions:
How to cook Chicken & Ham Pie
- To make the ham filling, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- To make the chicken filling, mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- To make the pastry, sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the onion salt. Drop in the fats and rub them in with your fingertips until your mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs with a few pea sized bits. Stir in the milk with a fork to form a soft dough. Divide into three bits, with one bit being larger than the other two. This will be the bit you use to line the bottom and sides of the baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a 7 by 11 inch rectangular pie baking dish.
- Roll out the largest bit of the pastry on a floured board, using a floured rolling pin, to a size large enough to lie the bottom and sides of the pie dish. It should only be about 1/4 inch thick. Line the dish with this. Spread the ham filling on the bottom of the pastry.
- Roll out another bit of pastry large enough to just cover the ham filling. It should also be 1/4 inch thick. Place on top of the meat. Spread the chicken filling over top.
- Roll out the remaining pastry large enough to cover the chicken filling with a bit of overhang to tuck in the sides. Place over the chicken filling and tuck in the edges all around. Crimp the edges. Brush with a bit of milk and slash to vet the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot and cut into squares. This is delicious!
Normally I would bake a few things sweet/wise for the weekend, but I am trying to make my flour last a bit longer until I know I can get more. I had to bake us a loaf of bread yesterday as well as we had run out. I hope you are all doing well! We can do this! I know we can! 👍👍👍
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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