As any pot pie lover will tell you, it's a bittersweet moment when you
first plunge into that golden brown crust. Spoiling the golden
perfection of that top-crust seems almost selfish, but the rich payoff
just beneath the surface is worth it. That first burst of steam from
the flaky crust, a glimpse of bright orange carrots, tender morsels of
turkey buoyed in the creamiest sauce – it's warm and satisfying, and
you haven't even tasted it yet.
The enduring appeal of pot pies in American cuisine is not surprising.
Pot pies are quick and easy one-dish meals and, more importantly, they
utilize those ever-present leftovers in the refrigerator. What better
way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey than in a perfectly seasoned,
hot-from-the-oven pot pie.
The Culinary Institute of America's pot pie recipe uses leftover
chicken or turkey and a variety of diced fresh vegetables cooked in a
simple flour-based sauce. It can be topped with puff pastry or prepared
pie crust, homemade or store-bought. Leftover mashed potatoes can also
make a perfect pot pie "crust" by being piped on top of the dish before
baking. The result is a rich, satisfying meal that can be prepared in
about an hour.
The sauce in this recipe is made from chicken stock thickened by a roux
- flour blended and cooked with melted butter. According to the CIA's
instructor Chef Lynne Gigliotti, "It's important to cook your sauce
over a low heat for at least 20 minutes, to remove the taste of the
flour."
American pot pies go back to the Colonial days when the pastry-topped
casseroles would be hung above open fires and left to slow-cook. A
cousin of the English savory tarts and pasties, the pot pie has a warm
place in the heart of American food culture. It's simple, hearty food
that is among our favorite comfort foods.
This and other easy comfort food recipes can be found in The Culinary Institute of America's cookbook, One Dish Meals (2006 Lebhar-Friedman), which is available for purchase at bookstores nationwide or at www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts/cookbooks_dvds.
Turkey Pot Pie
Makes four to six servings
Start to finish time – 2 hours (includes 30-45 minutes of baking time)
- three tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
- one and one-half cups diced yellow onion
- two teaspoons minced garlic
- three tablespoons flour
- three cups turkey or chicken broth
- salt as needed
- freshly ground black pepper as needed
- one cup diced carrot
- one cup diced celery
- two cups diced red or Yukon Gold potato
- four cups diced cooked turkey meat
- one cup green peas (thawed if frozen)
- two tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- two nine-inch prepared pie crusts, frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed), or other topping of choice such as leftover mashed potatoes
- Heat the butter or oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about ten to twelve minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until aromatic, about thirty seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until pasty and thick, about two minutes. Add the broth, whisking well to work out any lumps. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about fifteen minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the carrot, celery, and potato to the broth mixture, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about twenty to thirty minutes (depending on the size of the cut). Add the turkey and peas and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley.
- Spoon the filling into individual crocks or a baking dish. Cut pie crust or puff pastry dough to the appropriate size and shape and cover the filling. Cuts vents in the crust and press the edges of the dough onto the baking dish or crocks to seal.
- Bake the pot pie until the pie crust or puff pastry is golden and flaky, about forty-five minutes for a large pot pie and twenty-five minutes for individual crocks. Serve immediately.
Nutrition analysis per 13-ounce serving: 490 calories, 21g protein, 45g carbohydrate, 26g fat, 570mg sodium, 35mg cholesterol, 4g fiber
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