Savory Chicken Potpies

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Title: Savory Chicken Potpies
Categories: Poultry, Casseroles
Yield: 6 servings

5 lb Roasting chicken (OR two 2 1 lb Small carrots, pared, cut
-1/2 Lb) -1/2-inch long
1 lg Onion, peeled and quartered 1/2 pk Frozen pearl onions
(1/2 Lb)
3 Leafy celery tops 2 lg Celery stalks, diagonal cut
3 Sprigs fresh parsley -1/4-inch long
1 ts Salt 3/4 c Milk
10 Peppercorns 1/2 c All-purpose flour, unsifted
1 Bay leaf 3/4 ts Poultry seasoning
2 c Water 1/2 ts Salt
PASTRY: 1/4 ts Pepper
2 c All-purpose flour, insifted 1 lg Egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbl
3/4 c Shortening -water
Ice water

STOCK:

STOCK: Place chicken in 6-quart kettle along with the rest of stock
ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer,
covered, for about 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. (About 45 minutes
with 2 smaller chickens.)

Meanwhile, make pastry. In medium bowl stir flour and salt together. With
pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time, over all of pastry mixture,
tossing lightly with a fork after each addition and pushing dampened
portion to side of bowl; sprinkle only dry portion remaining. Pastry should
be just moist enough to hold together, not sticky. (4 to 6 tablespoons ice
water.) Shape into a ball; flatten and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate
until ready to use.

Remove chicken from kettle to bowl; cool until easy to handle. Discard skin
and bones. Cut chicken meat into 1-inch pieces (4 to 5 cups). Strain stock
into large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, pearl onions, and
celery. Cook, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are just
tender. In 2-cup measuring cup, measure milk; whisk in flour, poultry
seasoning, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir into vegetable-stock
mixture; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; boil 1 minute.
Add cut-up chicken; mix well. Divide mixture among six 1 1/3-cup
casseroles or seperate baking dishes. Preheat oven to 400F.

Remove pastry from refrigerator. On lightly floured surface, cut pastry
into 6 equal pieces. Flatten and evenly roll each piece to a circle the
same diameter as the top of a casserole. Cut a cross, 1 1/2 inch across,
in the center of each. Lightly moisten edges of casseroles with pastry
brush and water. Place pastry circles on top of each casserole. Use knife
tip to turn back the four corners in center of pastry, exposing filling.
Firmly press edge of pastry to casserole with table fork. Place casseroles
on large baking tray or rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until
filling is bubbly. Remove from oven. Brush crusts with egg yolk mixture.
Return to oven; bake for 5 minutes longer, or until pastry is golden-brown.

Makes 6 servings.

[McCall's COOKING SCHOOL No 12] Posted by Fred Peters.

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