Classic Supreme Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie.

Classic Supreme Chicken Pot Pie.

Taking on a production chef positions for a convenience food manufacturers took me out of the small restaurant test kitchens and into the mega federally inspected commissary size laboratories. At the Knotty Pine industrial kitchen I stood in the early morning in front of my gas fired Vulcan ovens filled with a roasting pan preheating to 350 degrees.

On top of the flat top burner sat several 20 litre pressure cooker filled with whole chickens, some chicken stock, and seasonings all waiting to be pressure cooked to a fall off the bone doneness. When the chickens were done the cooking juices were then collected for the fresh stock for the gravy and the chickens were hand pulled. All the deboned meat was the main ingredients for a hand crafted chicken pot pie that would be made into a delicious chicken pot pie.

Once a roasting pan was preheated it was filled with the meatless stewed chicken bones are then surrounded with a mixture of onions, carrots and celery that are baked till all their juices accumulate in the bottom of the pan. About one hour.

I now add some fresh chicken stock to cover the mixture and then back into the ovens till all the ingredients flavours are married together and the volume reduced by 2/3’s. This takes about 2 hours.

The chicken pot pies that I have made over the years, especially at the Knotty Pine and my store Degelman’s Deli won a great loyal customer following with product taste awards and accolades for value, consistency and quality.

20 years have gone by since I ran my store and to this day I still get stopped on the street by past customers asking if I was going to ever start making my chicken pot pies again? Now I know you can buy chicken pot pies fresh or frozen in any super market, but if you follow this recipe precisely you will have made the number one Canadian comfort food the way it should be made.

I have refined this recipe to do it in smaller batches like I sold in my deli.

You will need for this recipe;

3-4 lb. chicken seasoned with salt, pepper and some dried sage then placed in a roast pan with some water covering the bottom covered. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hrs. Remove and let rest.

When the bird is cooler remove all the meat from the bones and set aside.

Place the bones and the skin back into the roast pan along with

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

3 tbs of flour

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Now mix together and place back in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hr.

Remove to the stove top set at med high and then add in 4 cups chicken stock.

Stir and scrap the pan bottom for all the residue and bring to a rolling simmer.

Continue to cook for ten minutes till it thickens.

Remove as much of the bones and skin into a sieve over a bowl catching the drips.

Pour the pan juices into a large pot through a sieve and with a wooden spoon press the mixture to obtain all au jus. my past expierience is that if you want a good pot pie with a pastry lid, you must make sure to be liberal with the gravy.

Now add the chicken meat and 2 cups of mixed diced fresh or frozen vegetables, stir till well blended.

Fill each dish with equal amounts to the top with equal amounts of the mixture making sure to stir each time.

Cover each dish with pastry and crimp the edges.

Brush with an egg wash place into a 375 degree oven and bake till the pastry top is golden brown.

Simple Utility Pie Pastry.

6 cups flour.

1 pound shortening.

1 tsp. salt.

1 tsp. baking powder.

1 large egg 1 tsp. vinegar.

1 cup cold water.

Cut cold shortening into flour.

Add baking powder salt.

Beat the egg and add vinegar in measuring cup, then fill to 1 cup mark with the cold water.

Work the liquid into the flour. Do not over mix. Roll out on a floured board.

To store wrap in wax paper and keep chilled.

Now you will have a most delicious chicken pot pie to serve the family using this tried and true retro recipe.

 [Makes 6 pot pies]

Enjoy!