The Perfect Pot Pie
Most of us only look for pot pies in the freezer section, but it's not that hard to make a homemade version that's much better.
Cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie says pot pies are a great one-dish meal that's easy to make and cozy to eat this time of year.
Ritchie adds that you shouldn't reserve them for family meals: By making them in pretty, individual bowls, pot pies can also be a fun idea for casual dinner parties.
On The Early Show's "Five-Minute Cooking School" Thursday, at the flagship store in Manhattan of specialty home furnishings retailer and Early Show partner Williams-Sonoma, Ritchie gave a quick course in making pot pies.
For the traditional chicken pot pie, buying puff pastry and roasted chicken makes the dish a snap. You can also substitute leftover turkey if you want. The first step is making a roux with flour and butter. You turn it into a "veloute sauce" by adding stock; this is the base for your pot pie. Next, add your vegetables. The key here is to cut them into small, uniform pieces so they cook quickly. Once the veggies are tender, you add the chicken and ladle into individual bowls. Moisten the rims of the bowl so the pastry will adhere to them. Brush the pastry squares with egg, so they will brown beautifully, and press onto the bowl. Cook for about 20 minutes and then you have a delicious dinner!
Shepherd's pie is another type of pot pie that's easy to prepare. Basically, you make a lamb stew, ladle into a pie plate or individual ramekins and cover with mashed potatoes. It's a great use for leftover mashed potatoes! Ritchie suggests mixing some chives into the potatoes for added flavor. Also, you want the potatoes to be warm when you add them. Otherwise, the pie will need to cook for a really long time until heated through.
Williams-Sonoma calls the final recipe in Thursday's lesson "Chile En Croute." That's a fancy name for tamale pies! The recipe calls for making beef chili in a slow-cooker; of course you can make it in the stove as well. Ladle this into bowls and top with cornbread mix. The key here is that you don't want to try to spread the cornbread mixture evenly over the tops of the pies. If you do, you'll wind up pushing it down into the chili, causing it to sink while cooking. Plus, as it cooks, it will spread out some and cover more of the top.
RECIPES
Individual Chicken Pot Pies
Pot pies are an excellent way to use leftover roast chicken. The pot pies come together quickly with this recipe because it calls for store-bought puff pastry. Be sure to choose a good-quality brand that includes real butter, and keep the pastry frozen until ready to use.
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped white button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red-skinned potatoes
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup cooked fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Four 6-inch squares frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
Preheat an oven to 400ºF.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, bay leaf, onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken, peas, salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
Divide the filling among 4 ovenproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Brush the puff pastry squares with the egg mixture. Brush the rims of the bowls with water. Place 1 pastry square on top of each bowl, pressing lightly on the edges. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.Lamb and Wild Mushroom Shepherd's Pie
For the Filling:
2 lb shoulder blade lamb chops, trimmed of fat and boned
1 lb assorted wild mushrooms such as cremini, portobello, and shitake
2 tablespoons all purpose (plain) flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Turkish bay leaf, minced
1 3/4 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
For the Topping:
6 small Yukon gold potatoes, 1 1/2 lb total weight
1/3 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Preheat the oven to 350F. To make the filling, cut the lamb into 1/2-inch pieces and stem and cut the mushrooms into 3/4-inch pieces. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and allspice. Add the lamb and toss to coat evenly. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and sauté until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the shallots and garlic and stir over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and bay leaf and sauté until well browned, about 6 minutes.
Return the lamb to the frying pan, stir in the stock and tomato paste, and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Transfer the filling to a 9-inch pie dish.
To make the topping, pour water to a depth of 1 inch into a large pot and bring to a boil. Peel and slice the potatoes into rounds 1/4 inch thick. Put the potato slices into a collapsible steamer basket and set the basket over the boiling water. (The water should not touch the bottom of the steamer basket.) Cover and steam until tender when pierced with a small knife, about 12 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the milk, butter, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Mash well with a potato masher. Stir in half of the chives. Spoon the potatoes on top of the lamb mixture to cover it completely.
Bake the pie until it is heated through and the potatoes just begin to brown, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
Chile en Crôute
The French term en crôute describes a food that is wrapped or covered with pastry and then baked. Here, we offer a rustic version made with hearty beef chili and corn bread. It's the perfect cold-weather meal.
5 lb. ground beef
1 Tbs. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Urban Accents Rio Grande chili powder* or other chili powder
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 can (28 oz.) chopped tomatoes with juices
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 package Buckeye corn bread mix or other corn bread mix
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, combine the ground beef, salt and sugar and cook, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the meat and transfer to a slow cooker.
In the same pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes; do not allow it to brown. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, pepper and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the stock and cornmeal. Cover and cook for 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. After the chili is cooked, skim off any fat from the surface.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare the corn bread batter according to the package instructions. Divide the chili evenly among 8 ovenproof bowls. Top each with a scant 1/2 cup of the batter. Using a small offset spatula, spread the batter over the center two-thirds of the chili, being careful not to mix the batter with the chili. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the corn bread comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 8.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen