Replies

Granny’s Chicken Pie

(ahem)

I was raised by an old Granny who was born in 1890, and died in 1984. She was a GREAT cook. She used to make this chicken pie that was to DIE for - literally: it was a “heart-attack” waiting to happen.

She had run her own life and household until the age of 93, always ready and “up” for anything. But she began to fail in the summer of 1983, and I nursed her at home; because that’s the way we did things back then.

By the late autumn, she was losing her mind, moving in and out of memory/awareness.

My brother and I were together, taking care of her, one day; when Brother realized that we had never asked her for the Chicken Pie recipe! So, he went to sit with her, and asked her, “Granny, how do you make the chicken pie?”

And she said, “Well, first you get a chicken, and you take all the feathers off”.

And that was all we got, before she ‘faded’; and went back to sleep. She was remembering how to make a chicken pie, back when you butchered a chicken, and processed it yourself.

Over the years (with the help of ‘Fannie Farmer’ and ‘Joy of Cooking’), we have almost re-created it, with some modern updates; and here it is (though it will NEVER be the same):

Granny’s Chicken Pie

(Use approximately 3-1/2 lbs. chicken parts, thighs and breasts, or whatever you prefer; I personally like mostly dark meat - more flavorful.)

Cover chicken in water (about 12 cups) in a large stock pot and stew until tender. Remove chicken meat from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Cook the broth down to about 4 cups.
Skim fat from broth and strain the broth. (Save schmaltz and freeze it, for use in Chicken Dumplings :-)

While chicken is stewing, make the crust:

(The secret to this is keeping flour and butter very cold, while you work with it):

Mix together:
2 Cups Flour
½ tsp. Cream of Tartar, opt. (I never use this)
½ tsp. Salt
4 teaspoons Baking Powder

Dice ½ cup (1 stick) COLD butter into small pieces. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture.

(Pie crust can also be mixed in a food processor, but the old way gives a nicer crust; we never use the food processor; this is Hubby’s job, while he’s watching TV.)

Quickly stir 2/3 Cup COLD milk into flour and mix until all flour is moistened. Knead lightly into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Make the Sauce:

Reduce stock to to 3 or 3-1/2 Cups.

Melt in saucepan: 8 tablespoons Butter and stir in 8 tablespoons all purpose flour.

Cook 2 minutes, then slowly add stock, stirring constantly.

Add 1 to 1-1/2 C. Heavy Cream, ½ tsp. black pepper, and salt to taste.

Cook 5 minutes until thickened.

Mix chicken with Sauce; add 1 to 2 cups thawed frozen peas or peas/carrots mix, and ½ medium onion diced VERY finely . Pour mixture into greased oblong pan (metal is best).

Roll out crust between two layers of wax paper and place over chicken (Doesn’t have to fit perfectly; this is a rustic pie; make sure some edges fall down into that fatty sauce, and get very crisp!)

Bake at 400 or 425 degrees until Bubbly and Golden – 20 to 30 minutes. (Watch that the crust doesn’t burn.)

Sometimes, you have to regulate for the liquidity you want in the sauce. Experiment!

My Best,
JT