A Dough For All Seasons
by Annemarie Ahearn
While many wouldn’t dream of making a piecrust from scratch, this simple skill can broaden your homemade repertoire enormously. I acquired this basic recipe working pastry at a bistro up in Maine, and it functions on both a sweet and savory level. It takes all of ten minutes to assemble, twenty minutes to chill and another five to roll out. The beauty of a homemade crust is in its tiny imperfections, an indication that tangible love went into its creation.
Chicken Pot Pie (serves six to eight)
2 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon
2 sticks cold butter, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup of ice water
1 package chicken thighs (approx 4)
1 package chicken drumsticks (approx 3)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup peeled pearl onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or button)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch half moons
1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375. To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter cubes and work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add droplets of ice water, working the dough into a ball. Once it comes together, split it into two balls; wrap it in plastic and stick in the fridge for twenty minutes. Butter and flour a pie dish. Once the dough has chilled, roll out one dough ball on a clean, floured surface until it’s large enough to fill the pie dish, coming up over the edges. Chill the shell in the fridge. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Strain and cool. Pick the meat off the bones in bite-size pieces. In a deep sauté pan, warm 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and a sprinkling of salt, and cover to sweat the vegetables. After five minutes, add the garlic, mushrooms, potatoes and 1/2 cup chicken stock to prevent sticking. Cover and cook for five minutes more. Then add the pulled chicken and another 1/2 cup stock. Cover and cook for ten minutes. Add the parsley, peas and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cream over the mixture, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and let cook for a couple minutes to thicken. Pour mixture into the chilled pie shell. Roll out the other dough ball on a floured surface and place it on top of the pie. Press down, around the edges with your fingers, every 1/2 inch. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Chicken Pot Pie (serves six to eight)
2 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon
2 sticks cold butter, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup of ice water
1 package chicken thighs (approx 4)
1 package chicken drumsticks (approx 3)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup peeled pearl onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or button)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch half moons
1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375. To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter cubes and work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add droplets of ice water, working the dough into a ball. Once it comes together, split it into two balls; wrap it in plastic and stick in the fridge for twenty minutes. Butter and flour a pie dish. Once the dough has chilled, roll out one dough ball on a clean, floured surface until it’s large enough to fill the pie dish, coming up over the edges. Chill the shell in the fridge. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Strain and cool. Pick the meat off the bones in bite-size pieces. In a deep sauté pan, warm 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and a sprinkling of salt, and cover to sweat the vegetables. After five minutes, add the garlic, mushrooms, potatoes and 1/2 cup chicken stock to prevent sticking. Cover and cook for five minutes more. Then add the pulled chicken and another 1/2 cup stock. Cover and cook for ten minutes. Add the parsley, peas and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cream over the mixture, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and let cook for a couple minutes to thicken. Pour mixture into the chilled pie shell. Roll out the other dough ball on a floured surface and place it on top of the pie. Press down, around the edges with your fingers, every 1/2 inch. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes. Serve hot.
