Cherokee Road Chicken Pot Pie
When people ask me what my best dish is, this is my answer. It’s not the healthiest. It’s not the easiest. It’s just probably the recipe that I’ve made more than any other. It was inspired by a trip to Riverpoint Farm where Dede had bought several pot pies from a local pie lady. I took notes with every bite and decided to attempt it when I got home. I was living at 216 Cherokee Road with the boys when I first made it, and it became our Wednesday night meal with “Survivor.” After the first week, when they asked if there were seconds, I started making two at a time. This recipe makes two.
Stock*:
1 whole chicken
1 whole onion, quartered
1 whole carrot, peeled
1 stalk of celery with leaves
2 bay leaves
Base:
8 T butter
1 small onion, diced
8 T all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken stock
2 T salt
1 cup shredded cheddar
Filling and Pie:
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups of the stock made from above
Basic Pie Crust:*
* - Makes 2. You need 4 for two pot pies.
~ Place whole chicken, quartered onion, whole carrot, celery stalk, bay leaves, and salt in enough cold water to submerge. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, and cover for one hour.
~ Drain chicken stock through sieve and reserve liquid.
~ Discard all vegetables. Shred chicken and set aside.
~ Preheat oven to 350º F.
~ Using a ladle, skim off the top layer of chicken fat and return to stock pot with stick of butter.
~ Once butter has melted, whisk in flour. Cook for one minute.
~ Whisk in milk, then stock, and bring to boil to thicken.
~ Take thickened sauce off of heat and stir in cheese and peas to thaw.
~ Meanwhile parboil diced carrots, celery, and potatoes in 2 cups of stock till al dente. Do not overcook!
~ Stir veggies and shredded chicken to sauce.
~ Line two pie plates or cake pans with pie crust and add filling.
~ At this point, you can sprinkle some remaining cheese over the filling (That’s what the pie lady did.).
~ Top with second crust and crimp edges to close. Cut several slits in the top to vent.
~ Brush with egg wash and bake at 350º for one hour.
