Chicken Pie may be the greatest of all comfort foods. This Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pie is my elaboration on my mother-in-law’s (Eleanor Lehman) recipe. It differs from most other chicken pot pies in that it has a biscuit, rather than a, pastry crust. Because it requires several steps, I recommend making it over a two-day period. The result is a rich, satisfying, and filling dish that can serve as a whole meal in itself. Even though this makes a large pie, leftovers can be refrigerated so that you can reheat in a 350° oven just the amount you need for subsequent dinners. Here are links to other Pennsylvania Dutch recipes that I have published:
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken-Corn Soup
Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Pie
Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Cake
To Stew the Chicken
Place the chicken in a very large pot, and pour the chicken stock over it. Add cold water to cover the bird. This could mean as many 10-12 cups of water. Turn the heat on to low. As scum rises to the top, skim it off with a large spoon. This is much easier to do before the vegetables are added.
Skim off the chicken scum.
In the meanwhile, begin preparing the vegetables. Quarter the onion and slice the carrot and celery stalk. When you are finished skimming and the stock is cleear, add all the vegetables, herbs, salt and peppercorns to the stewing chicken.
Add vegetables and herbs.
Partially cover the pot, and adjust the heat to maintain a slow simmer. You don’t want the liquid to come to a boil, which incorporates the fat into the broth. Continue to simmer for 4-5 hours. When done remove the chicken.
Skin the chicken.
Strain the liquid into a large pot, pressing down on the vegetables and herbs to extract as much flavor as possible.
Strain the vegetables.
Discard the vegetables and herbs because they’ve become mushy and have rendered all their flavors.
Place the broth in the refrigerator to allow the fat to rise. Remove all the meat from the chicken and discard the bones and the skin. Break the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces.
Remove the chicken meat.
Cover the chicken and refrigerate until ready to make the pie. This process is best done the day before you intend to make the dish.
When you’re ready to make the pie, remove the chicken and the broth from the refrigerator, and spoon off the fat from the broth.
Remove the fat.
You can either discard it or save it as part of the fat for making the sauce, which will give you a deeper flavor.
Simplified Recipe
The recipe can be greatly simplified by buying an already roasted chicken and using store-bought chicken broth to make the sauce. You can’t, however, expect to get the same rich flavor you get from stewing your own chicken and making your own stock.
To Prepare the Vegetables
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The vegetables should be cooked separately, but in the same pot of boiling water, so that each is cooked to the right doneness. You want them to be just tender, but not mushy. Remember they will cook again in the oven. Dice the carrots, the celery, and slice the leeks. The potatoes should be sliced just slightly thicker than 1⁄8 inch.
Slice the potatoes.
Place the carrots in the boiling water and cook just until barely tender. Remove them to a bowl with a skimmer, keeping the water boiling.
Cook the vegetables.
Do the same with the celery, the leeks and the potatoes. Mince 1⁄2 cup of parsley and set aside.
To Make the Sauce
Bring the stock to a boil and boil for about 5-10 minutes to concentrate the flavor. You should have more than 6 cups of broth. If you’ve saved the rendered chicken fat, combine 3 tablespoons of it with 3 tablespoons of butter. Otherwise, use 6 tablespoons of butter. Heat it in a large, heavy pot until it is frothy. Dot no let it brown. Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes.
Make the roux.
Add 6 cups of boiling chicken stock to the flour/butter mixture and whisk until smooth.
Add chicken stock.
In a small bowl, beat the two egg yolks. Slowly dribble in about 1⁄2 cup of the sauce into the yolks to gently warm them.
Warm the egg yolks with sauce.
Whisk thoroughly, then return the egg yolk mixture into the sauce, and simmer gently. You don’t want the eggs to scramble. Beat in a cup of heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.
Assembling the Pie
In a 9- x 13-inch baking pan, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Mix together the cooked chicken meat, the vegetables, and the minced parsley, placing them on the layer of sauce.
Mix the vegetables and chicken.
Pour about 4 cups of the sauce over the chicken and vegetable, gently mixing it in.
To Make the Buttermilk Biscuits
Make certain that the buttermilk is at room temperature. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Cut in the butter and lard (or Crisco) with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs are formed.
Cut in the shortening.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix using a large wooden spoon with a few quick strokes until just combined.
Add the buttermilk.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured board and knead for about 1⁄2 minute. Pat or roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1⁄2 inch. Cut with a biscuit cutter.
Roll out the dough.
Place the biscuits on top of the chicken mixture.
Place the biscuits on the pie.
Baking and Serving
Place a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°. Place the pie in the oven and bake about 20-25 minutes until the biscuits are lightly brown on top.
The baked pie.
Serve slices of the Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pie, moistening with some of the remaining 2 cups of sauce.
