Chicken Pot Pie
One of my favorite shows based on one of my favorite book series, Outlander, released its 7th season this past week. That series actually inspired me to start writing this blog, or at least what to even begin writing about! Blogging is something has interested me since I was a pre-teen, but when I was so young it was difficult to know what write about. My life wasn’t that interesting, and I didn’t necessarily have the financial means then to invest in fashion or projects. Oh, the dreams of a teen!
But when I first read Outlander in 2014, I was immediately hooked. I fell in love with Claire’s passion and knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants. I thought that perhaps I would try learning about them as well! Thus, this blog was started. My very first blog posts in 2015 were about growing herbs in my bedroom with a little baby and their folklore. Sometimes I wish I had stuck more with that side of my interests, but then we went on a homesteading journey. Now, I feel like we are returning to that side of us, or rather letting it be free and not so contained. I love herbal folklore and magical stories. Outlander has always been a fantastical tale to me, with some many twists and turns.
I thought I would make a little inspired recipe to share with you all! This pot pie is one of my favorite recipes and it has a long history.
the pot pie in the 18th century:
The pot pie has, undoubtedly, been around since Ancient times. The combination of ground flour and fat mixed together to from a crust has been around for thousands of years. Filling the pastry with meats and other ingredients obviously followed suit. In Ancient Rome and Greece, these pies baked in clay pots were filled with mostly fish, shellfish, mussels, oysters, and the like.
By the time we reach the 1700s, the pot pie had changed ever so slightly. It was quite popular, actually, in the Elizabethan period. I am sure that you have seen many medieval game pies, right? The pot pie, however, is typically not made with a hot water pastry.
By 1796, a documented pot pie recipe was written in the first American cookbook, American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons. There are several pot pie recipes inside, actually, for “Sea Pie,” “Stew Pie,” and “Chicken Pie.”
What exactly is inside of a pot pie? For a more historical version, it would be roasted meats and vegetables with a hot gravy poured inside after baking. The more modern version has the meat and vegetables cooked in a cream sauce and baked with the crust. Yum!
the method:
Chicken pot pie is one of the first recipes that I ever took the time to try making from scratch. Back in our little kitchen, I can remember feeling so confident as I kneaded together my super soggy and chewy pie crust. I had never made a cream sauce before, but I knew that I could handle it!
I am pretty sure it took me at least 45 minutes or more to put just the filling together. Now, I can put an entire pot pie together (not including the wait time for the crust to chill) in about 30 minutes. After some practice, it’s a rather simple meal that can easily be made from scratch.
The vegetables are sauteed in butter and oil. Then leftover cooked chicken chopped into bite size pieces is tossed in. The mixture is coated in a light dusting of flour, and then the chicken broth and milk is added. Once the liquid comes to a boil, it thickens up beautifully and creates this dreamy cream bechamel sauce.
Simply plop the filling into your pie dish and cover with crust. Bake it up until golden brown, and it is ready to enjoy! Be careful though… it’s hot!!
I love pot pie. While Claire is by no means a cook, I still think that recipes from the era and from the books themselves are so fun. I personally have never really related to Claire. Do you? I personally relate the most to Marsali, though the version of her character from the show. The scenes of her butchering the hog from Season 5 had me giggling with relatability!
Enjoy this supper recipe that is rich with history!
xoxo Kayla
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp ice cold water
- 1 egg, for the egg wash
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp fresh or dried parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary, chopped
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth/stock
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold, cubed butter with a pastry blender or fork. Blend until the butter is completely coated in the flour mixture and resembles crumbs about the size of a pea.
- Slowly add in the water, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, until the crust just comes together with your hands. It should still be a bit crumbly. Knead the dough until it is more consistent, being careful not to over handle it and melt the butter. Shape the dough into a round disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Set aside a 9-inch pie pan.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil together. Cook the onion over medium-high heat until it becomes translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Stir in the celery and carrots and cook until slightly softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken, stirring to mix everything evenly. Season all of the vegetables with the salt, pepper, parsley, and rosemary.
- Once everything has been well seasoned, stir in the flour, coating all of the vegetables and chicken. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. It should thicken within minutes, over medium heat. Then, pour in the milk, continuing to stir until the filling begins to boil. Stir in the cream and repeat the thickening process. Once the sauce has become nice and thick, about 8 minutes total, stir in the peas.
- Scoop the finished filling into the pie pan. Let it sit on the countertop for about 15 to 20 minutes to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pie crust. Let the pie crust rest out at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Then, roll the crust out to a 12-inch in diameter circle. Roll the crust back over the rolling pin and lift it on top of the pie filling. Unroll the crust over the filling so that it is resting evenly.
- Trim around the edges of the pan so that the crust only hangs over about 1-inch all of the way around the pie. Tuck under the end and crimp the edges with your fingertips or a fork. Cut a slit in the center to let air escape.
- With any extra pie crust trimmings, make little leaf designs or anything that you would like. Arrange these on top of the pie.
- Whisk the egg in a small dish and brush it all over the top of the crust. This helps to create a delicious golden brown crunch to the crust.
- Bake the pie for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Let the pot pie rest for about 20 minutes before scooping into a serving.
