Recipe of the Week
 
Old-fashioned meat pie casserole
 
Courtesy of
Richard Blunt
 
 

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Ingredients

1 4-5 lb. roasting chicken or stewing hen
2 cups low fat, low salt canned chicken broth
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 cup pale dry sherry or other dry white wine
5 Tbsp. butter or margarine, room temperature
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups frozen baby carrots, diced medium
1-1/4 cups frozen pearl onions
1-1/4 cups frozen sugar snap peas
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Topping ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 Tbsp. double acting baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup whole milk

Method

After washing the chicken in cold water and removing the giblets, cut chicken into quarters with a sharp knife.

Combine chicken stock, fresh carrot, fresh onion, celery, bay leaves, wine, and quartered chicken in a heavy-bottomed stock pot and stew chicken over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked completely, about 1 hour.

Remove chicken from stock and set aside to cool.

Strain stock and discard vegetables and bay leaves.

Combine softened butter or margarine with flour and stir mixture into a smooth paste.

Return strained stock to stove and bring to a slow boil over medium heat.

Slowly stir flour paste into hot stock with a whisk to make a thickened sauce. Slowly cook this sauce for about 5 minutes.

Add frozen vegetables, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook mixture for another 5 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool.

Remove chicken from bones and cut large pieces into 1-inch chunks. Add boneless chicken to sauce, place mixture into a 10x10 x2-inch casserole. Cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight.

Biscuit topping:

Sift the 2 flours, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.

Blend shortening into flour with a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers until mixture resembles grains of rice or smaller.

Using a heavy fork, stir milk into flour until all of the milk is incorporated and a slightly sticky dough is formed.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly turn dough until stickiness is gone. Add a little more flour to the working surface if necessary.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Lightly roll dough to fit snugly on top of casserole.

Remove chilled casserole from refrigerator and let warm, at room temperature, for a few minutes.

Fit the biscuit topping onto the casserole and place in the oven. Cook casserole at 450° for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350°. Continue to cook until the casserole reaches serving temperature, about 30 minutes.

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