Chicken Pie . . .
"Chickens go in, pies come out! "

Traditional English chicken pie recipes all seem to call for laying whole, but snapped/separated chicken wings, legs and other large parts around in the pie pan before baking, then giving it a gelatin infusion/injection through the top crust after the baking time (such as the method I use in my English pork pie recipe). Here is a much nicer way to make a tasty chicken pie without the rather strange fuss normally called for by traditional, British recipes!

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast
One 14.5 oz. can peas and diced carrots
One 10¾ oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. each of salt, garlic powder, ground, black pepper and celery salt
9" pie crust, top and bottom (see notes below)
~ cooking oil ~

Preparation:

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil and bring it to medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts well with the salt, garlic powder and black pepper, then brown them a few minutes on both sides in the pan.

While the chicken browns, dice the onion. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a side plate after it's nicely browned and allow it to cool off a bit.

Next, sauté the onion in the browned chicken drippings left in the pan until caramelized over medium-low heat.

While the onion browns, dice the cooled chicken meat into 1"- 1½"cubes. After the chicken is cubed and the onion is nicely caramelized, place all remaining ingredients (except of course for the pie-crust dough) in the skillet and simmer the mixture gently for about six to ten minutes over medium heat, just to warm it through really well and to mingle all the flavours together.

Place your first pie shell in a compatibly-sized pie tin or glass pie baking dish, and transfer the warmed mixture into it.

Cover with a second pie layer of shell, trim edges neatly of excess dough with a knife and pinch edges together to seal in the meat filling. Brush the top of the pie shell with a little olive oil (or egg wash) and cut four or five decorative slits in the top so the pie is able to vent while baking.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F. for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Serves 6 - 8.

Notes:
By tradition, these are more often made with a puff-pastry top crust. But I love these with the more usual and ordinary type of pie crust. My wife learned how to make a wonderfully flaky pie crust from her mum, and so that's what we use for our pies! If you're not lucky enough to have a spouse who knows how to make a nice crust for your pie, ready-made pie shells are sold in most American super markets. Pillsbury produces packages with two 9" ready-made all-purpose pie shells which are commonly available in the grocer's refrigerated section in cardboard boxes (the crust doughs are sold two per package, and you just unfold them, press one down in your pie pan, and put the other over the top, trimming the edges and pinching together nicely). Sometimes you'll find two pie crusts produced by various other companies in aluminum pans sold together in the market's frozen section; you just thaw the second pie crust, remove it from the tin and place it over the first, pinching the edges together to seal the pie with a crust top. It's EASY!

King Edward VIII
1894 - 1972

He decided to "chicken out" on remaining king after his coronation in 1936 so he could, contrary to the dictates of the Church of England and his government, marry his half-American girlfriend who had previously been married twice. But thanks to his abdication of the throne in December of 1936, the peoples of Great Britain and the British Commonwealth have enjoyed the long, prosperous reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II who inherited the throne from her father, George VI (who was Edward VIII's successor). After his disgraceful abdication, he reverted to the style of a son of the sovereign, "The Prince Edward," and was created Duke of Windsor in March of 1937 (and after his American girlfriend's second divorce came through, he married her and she gained the title "Duchess of Windsor").

During World War II, he was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahamas - quite a demotion from being king, I'd say!

Like this recipe? Then show me your appreciation by clicking below to make a donation!

BACK