Monday, December 14, 2009

Unreal Chicken Pot Pie

Click HERE for the new and improved version of this dish!




I like to call it unreal chicken pot pie because it is u-n-r-e-a-l how good it tastes, and I use fake (unreal) chicken in the recipe. This is one of the few things that The Wife requests on a regular basis. It is simple to make, and she always helps out by making the crust. She says that every good Southern girl should be able to make a pie crust from memory. Here is how she remembers it:

Pot pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup ice water
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder

**** Place all ingredients except water in the food processor with the dough blade. Turn it on and add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and stick it in the fridge for 20 minutes.****

Roll 1/2 of the crust out and fit into a pie plate. Reserve the other half for the top. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
For the pot pie filling dice:
2 medium carrots
2 medium ribs of celery
1 medium onion
1 medium potato
2 cloves of garlic
2 Quorn Naked Chick'n Cutlets
1 handful of fresh parsley

Throw all of that into a large pot with some olive oil, salt, pepper, one chicken-style bullion cube, and one cup of frozen green peas. Allow the mixture to cook on medium-high for about five minutes, and then create a well in the middle by pushing everything up against the sides of the pot. In the well you just created, melt four tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle four tablespoons of flour on top of the melted butter, and whisk the flour and butter together. Allow flour mixture to cook for a few minutes, but keep it moving around the pot so it does not burn. Pour in a cup of milk and stir the whole thing together. Once the mixture has thickened, pour the whole thing into a your pie plate, cover it with the remaining crust and bake for 40 minutes. I like to put and egg wash on the top crust about half way through so the top is a nice, brown color.

Whew! O.K. it looks complicated, but it isn't. Let me know if you have any questions.

13 comments:

Michael Hughes said...

Yum, yum, yum. Is there a fake foie gras?

Bianca said...

Justin, you are just amazing! I've tried shooting pot pie and it never looks good! My filling always runs out all over the dish and it looks messy. But you can shoot anything and make it look good.

And Amy's right about the pie crust. If you can't make a good crust, you need your Southern girl license revoked.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I am not a Southern girl but I tried your recipe...was I supposed to use that much water? I never used that much water to make a crust before...found it really sticky...should I have used it a TBS or so at a time until it was ready to work with?

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

Dough is a strange thing. It can work perfectly for one and not for another. As always go with your gut in the kitchen. If the dough feels sticky, then add a bit more flour. It is always good o let it rest for 20 minutes or so in the fridge also.
-tcv

clunkygirl said...

I just put this in the oven a few minutes ago and would like to thank you for such a delicious recipe. I also want to add a few comments: I found the water was strange too, I just added a few spoonfuls until a dough formed - are you sure your wife said a cup? Second, I used 3/4 soy creamer with 1/4 water because I ran out of milk and it came out super. Also, I had a half container of frozen tofu that I thawed, sauteed and threw in and it worked in a pinch. I can't tell you how the crust is yet (I did taste the filling and it was excellent) but it looks nice in the oven. I can't wait to try it!!!

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

YEs, yes. You should be using that water one tablespoon at a time until the crust comes together. You will not need the whole cup of water. Sorry for the mix up. I hope we did not ruin anyone's dinner.

Sarah S. said...

Any advice for people without the mechanical tools for dough mixing? Is it a hopeless task to try to accomplish by hand? I seriously need to eat this.

clunkygirl said...

Justin: Lol, I'm glad that's cleared up.

Ordinary Vegetarian: The dough for pie crust is very different than that of bread dough. For crust you don't want to handle it much at all, just gently mix it until a dough forms, divide it into two balls, and then let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. After that, take it out and place it on a pastry cloth, or between two pieces of wax or parchment paper, and roll it out just until you get the size you want.
As for bread and pizza dough, that's when you can use one of those blades on a food processor, or you can knead it with your hands for 10 minutes or so. I usually do this by hand, mainly out of habit, and it works just fine.
I have to say that I have never made pie crust with oil and I was really skeptical because the whole thing when using shortening is not to incorporate it too much into the flour so that it's flaky but this came out really nice. Good luck!

Jay M. said...

That looks holy-good-grief-amazingtastic. I have to make that this week.

Anonymous said...

I cheated and used a store bought crust (with a second upside down crust for the top). Delicious!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Made this a few times now and love it. Have used vegetarian friendly store bought crust when in a hurry. Also used soybeans instead of peas and threw in some mushrooms and broccoli. So very yummy!!

QueriesonFoodsandHealth said...

Wow! This is a perfect recipe for my friend who loves chicken and yet trying to be vegetarian. Chicken and vegetarian all in one. Love this.

Thanks for sharing,
Peny@blood pressure device