Original Chicken Pie
This recipe for old-fashioned chicken pie is the traditional no-vegetable version that many purists prefer, and we think it’s one of the best.
By Yankee Magazine|Feb 24 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanThis recipe for old-fashioned chicken pie is the traditional no-vegetable version that many purists prefer, and we think it’s one of the best.
Yield:
Ingredients
1 large stewing chicken
1 stalk celery
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups flour, plus extra to make the gravy
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening (half butter, half Crisco)
1/2 cup milk (approximately)
Instructions
Simmer the chicken in a large kettle with celery and salt and pepper to taste.
When chicken is tender, remove it from the broth.
Save the broth, discarding the celery stalk.
Bone the chicken and separate into medium-sized pieces; put the pieces in the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Using extra flour to thicken the reserved broth, make about a quart of gravy; while still hot, pour enough gravy over the chicken to cover.
Combine the remaining 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Cut in the shortening and add enough milk to make a soft biscuit dough.
Roll out the dough and place it over the chicken and gravy.
Cut a hole in the center of the dough and insert an inverted custard cup, pressing it down into the pie — or place a pie bird or funnel in the center of the pie — before covering the chicken and gravy with dough (this will vent the pie and help it cook evenly).
Place the pie in a preheated 425 degrees F. oven; immediately turn heat down to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until biscuit is golden.
Serve with extra gravy nearby.
It sounds good but who would want a chicken pie without a bottom crust?
I agree.
The bottom crust just gets soggy. And as several other people have said, it’s less carbs and calories without the bottom crust!
Not enough veg. I have never had a chicken pot pie without a greater variety of veg in addition to celery. I like to use leeks, potatoes, peas, carrots and mushrooms. The addition of a little corn starch or flour thickens the sauce really nicely. I like to use a puff pastry crust, but this crust sounds very tasty!
Dinner on Sundays… supper during the week. Grew up mostly in York County, lived in NH and MA for a few years. Now in eastern PA
Your right supper during the week and dinner on sundays. I am in MN right and the only ones that say supper are the people from the country. They also ask do you live in town or in the country. I was very confused then found out I lived in town.
Suppah. Essex County north of Boston.
Eh uh, and I luv havin’ Lobstah fa suppah aftah I pahk my cah in the gahrahhge!! Used to live in Salem, right on the common. Really miss it!!! My mother’s family comes from the Nawwth Shoah and Rye, NH was settled in the 1600’s in part by my x number of times Great Grandfather John Foss and his wife Mary Berry Foss, who all came over from Paignton England along with the Jackson family and many others.
Just wanted to say, I understood every thing you said! It was so cute to hear, I love the hearty New Endland men! Lobster meat pie would be a great version?
I say both supper and dinner in an equal amount of usage. I was born In Needham, Massachusetts. My dad was born in Milton, Ma and my mom was born in Houston, Texas, so perhaps I learned one saying from each parent.
I grew up having chicken pot pie with veggies as well, my mom used to make it as it’s a great way to stretch chicken when your feeding 7 kids. It wasn’t until I was older and purchased my first Willow Tree Chicken Pie that I had it with only the chicken, lots of white meat chicken. I now live right down the street from Willow Tree and they do sell both kinds but the most common one you see in supermarkets is the one without the veggies and only the Top Crust.
My mom found this recipe in Yankee Magazine years ago and always got rave reviews! It is absolutely delicious. We never missed the additional vegetables in the pie , as we always enjoyed a big fresh salad or cole slaw and a vegetable and home made applesauce on the side 40 years later, it’s st a favorite
Anyone know where to get real stewing hens? I’ve really looked around and haven’t found any in decades; not even from a very good local meat market
Apparently the big commercial poultry producers don’t let the chickens get old enough.
I use the precooked rotisserie chickens available in most supermarkets.
garden acres
After cooking, is the chicken still liquid like a stew or is it thickened to be cut together with the crust?
THIS SOUNDS DELISH. I ALSO PREFER THE NO VEGGIE RECIPE.
Leaving the bottom crust our reduces the carbohydrates. I’m for it.
I LOVE THE NEW ENGLAND ACCENT.
My mother’s ancestors go back to Native Americans in Maine. This chicken pie recipe is almost exact to the pie recipe that many generations of my family have eaten on Christmas MORNING! Yum!
I like to par boil small chunks on new potatoes and carrots and add to the chicken. In a pinch, I use frozen puff pastry and it is amazing. I no longer bother with thee bottom crust, too soggy unless you blind bake it.
Supper during the week.
Sunday Dinner was more elaborate, sometimes involved family (grandparents, aunts, uncles) and was usually at 1:00.
Make enough dough for a bottom crust BUT before adding the mixture, brush it all over with the grease and partially bake until it seals the the crust. Then, complete the recipe. This is hint on how to prevent phyllo dough’s bottom leaves from also being soggy. For any recipe having a whole egg or egg whites, do the same.
Love Chicken pot pie, I must admit a lot of store bought pies have very little chicken in it, and I’ve found some that the chicken cut into cubes is really chicken, one that is not bad is KFC POT PIES if your on the run.P.S. I’m from Dorchestha, now living in Williamsburg, Virginia with “rednecks” all around me.
Use a metal pie dish not glass put your rack on 2nd to the bottom rack and bake the bottom won’t be soggy