Thursday, November 13, 2008

To Everything There Is a Season (turn, turn, turn)

We're entering a mini heat spell in my neighborhood in the next few days. It's warm now, in fact, but we might go up to the 80s.
Still, I gotta run this photo now. It was cool and gray in the past weeks, and we got a hankering for chicken pot pie.
We are fortunate to have a seller of spit-roasted chickens at our farmers market. The chickens are local, beautifully herbed, and already cooked by the time the market opens in the morning. (The vendor must be like a bakery, getting up in the middle of the night to prepare the day's wares. Imagine driving this truck of hot birds down the highway.)
One of the first things we did (OK, actually sandwich first, with still-warm meat) was to strip the meat off the carcass, set it aside, and make a slow simmer of the bones for a couple of hours. The already-present herbs were a present, already.
Now, I'm not going to get too 'splainy on you, because I made this pot pie without a recipe (last time I used a pot pie recipe I got a putz pie). I made a white sauce, with a good gulp of the chicken stock and a drizzle of milk.
Cut up some carrots and onions; sauteed them in oil? butter? Forgot. Tossed in a handful of green peas.
When you buy these roasted chickens, you have the option of getting some cooked potatoes; the spit rods are above a holding tank of taters that lie there, getting rained on by chicken grease. Heaven.
So I cut up some of them, too. Didn't even bother with mushrooms.
Here's the easy part: Throw the vegetables into the white sauce, then stir in rough cubes of cooked chicken.
Top it with a crust (this was a frozen puff pastry), made into the shape of your perfect two-person baking dish.
Bake, half-hour.
That's supposed to be a heart on top.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay YUM 80* or no!

I'm glad you didn't get too splainy.

The truck reference reminds me of my old friend Andy: he would rent predawn hours in a local commercial kitchen and would late load up his van with 100-200 loaves of still-hot bread (as he couldn't stay there and let them cool) and he would have to run the defrost in order to see out the windscreen. Now THAT truck smelled pretty good too.

wot larx said...

My man and I paid our first visit to Tuscany last month, where in our village market we bought not only spit-roasted chicken but spit-roasted hare. Positively drool-making. It didn't last long enough to make it into a pie...

The Spiteful Chef said...

That looks and sounds insanely good, and now I'm craving pot pie. I love that you didn't put in too many veggies. It pisses me off to no end when there are carrots in my pie. Good on ya. Hope you're alright with me poaching your blog topic sometime soon...

I have to be honest, though, that doesn't look much like a heart. An arse, mayhaps? Don' feel bad. I read a blog the other day about rugelach where one of them looked just like a "rear end," and I felt compelled to comment on that too. I'm just seeing butt everywhere these days!

Ms Brown Mouse said...

You didn't bother with mushrooms, naughty - apart from the chicken they are the best bits!
I put little chicken shapes on the crust of my chicken pies (and piggies on the pork pies). Hearts are saved for the strawberry shortcakes.

Anita (Married... with dinner) said...

I knew it was a heart. But then, I am a creative artsy type, too :D

Sounds yummus. I can't wait until it cools off again.

kudzu said...

Crooked Little Heart.

I am going to try a vegan pot pie for my granddaughter's T-Day treat and your method sounds just right. Course it will be roasted tofu instead of taters, soy milk instead of yadda,yadda,yadda -- but a lot better than those faux meat/poultry dishes people nightmare up.

Heather Jefferies said...

Perfect use of extra nom. Roasted up an absolutely fabulous bird this evening and this looks like a very happy ending!

(oh, and one other thing, once I ate this incredible pot pie that some insane chef thought needed two thousand pounds of peas and I ate around every single one of them! Veggies in moderation is a good thing!)

peter said...

Did you ever notice how all the Byrds' hit songs were written by Dylan, except that one, which was written by God?

I'm just saying.

Kelly said...

oh yum yum yum. was that chicken ala parissienne style, all herbed up with lovely juices??? im dying here.

Kelly said...

im heading across the seas to Marin next mont, am definitley checking ou the farmers market now!

Zoomie said...

Gonna make it as soon as I get home! Thanks for the idea!

Unknown said...

Will you make me one? On a Saturday and invite me over? Meat pies are my favorite and don't have anyone to make them for me. I'd make it myself, but it isn't the same. Ya know? I'll bring the beer and leave the jerky behind.

Biggles

cookiecrumb said...

El: Yeah, just make it your way. I know you gots the chickens! :)
Bread truck story is worth a thousand sniffs. Did he run defrost because the heat steamed up the windows? Ee. Cranky runs the AC in winter, when his steaming head fogs the windshield.

Wot Larx: Hare! Oh, I think I can find rabbit. That MUST be my next pie. Grazie.

Spitey: Well, I did sneak in some carrots. You can make it in whatever proportions you like. But make the sauce saucy, rather than sludgy.
No, it doesn't look like a heart. Whose rugelachs did I say looked like "diapers" the other day? It's a theme.

Morgan: No, and we had some in the house. Next time, I promise.
Do you use a little cookie cutter for the shapes? It wouldn't work with puff pastry, but you are CUTE.

Anita: I've decided the heart looks like an innie.
Be brave in this joyous climate. No wonder you live where you do.

Kudzu: Sounds like a great idea, albeit with molto translations. I imagine your grandvegan will be thrilled with her own pie; or pie to share.

Alecto: Usually you make this pie from leftovers, but we bought the chicken specifically for the dish. Nom.

Peter: And it's their best-known one, except for Mr. Spaceman. Hm. God is also a spaceman. I'm just sayin'.

Kel: The herbs were all inside the cavity, and the chickens were rotisseried, dozens of them at once, on this truck. Give us a holler when you visit Marin.

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: Rather simple, and can be made to your taste. I must brag, I nailed it, but probably because the chicken roaster people use such good herbs.

Biggles: I will, honest. Because I'm usually so ashamed to cook for you, but I know this one will turn out right.
I put the little heart on top, because you bake this pie with love.

Unknown said...

Yay! I can hardly wait.

michael, claudia and sierra said...

i hate everyone who lives in northern california. do you think i am bitter?

this sounds wonderful. truly amazingly delicious. i clapped my hands when reading that you used store bought puff pastry.

the heart looks kinda like a butt hole with hemorohoids (sp?). just saying. but the sentiment was nice. oh, did i ruin it?

Michelle said...

I love how you cook, Cookie. You're my inspiration! (uh oh, too many Chicago songs on the radio lately)

This looks beautiful and scrumptious - especially with that heart - and oh if I could have some of those potatoes, I think I'd be in Heaven. Whenever I try it, it's just not the same...any thoughts for how to replicate that at home in a pan??

cookiecrumb said...

ceF: Jeez, Claudia. You ever seen a butthole with hemorrhoids? I hope I never do.
Don't hate us; join us! Tra la.

Michelle: We oven-roast little potatoes now and then, but these are different, and I think you have to own a rotisserie truck to pull it off! Ha.
Love your new house.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

oui, little cutters ;)

Sweet Bird said...

Ok - you suck for getting that damn song stuck in my head. Even if your pie does look scrumptious.

Anonymous said...

I like buying pre-roasted birds as well, but that's because I'm rather poor right now and for some mysterious reason they're cheaper than the raw ones!! And I can't help being insanely jealous of your warm weather....we've now had out third bout of flurries.

cookiecrumb said...

Morgan: The only little cutters I have are in the shape of alphabet letters. I have sent many a ransom note in crust. Heh.

Sweet Bird: I can help you out. "Itsy Bitsy Spider."
There.

Tina: I've noticed that price differential in places, too. Lucky!
Keep warm.

Anonymous said...

this sounds off the hook.

Heather Jefferies said...

so worth the wait. mushrooms, leeks, onions, garlic, scallions, a bit of zuchinni, the last third bottle of white wine and half that roast chicken from the other night. I wish I had some fillo or puff pastry or something in the freezer though because the standard pate brisse was just not quite it. But still... noms.

cookiecrumb said...

Piper: It is off the hook. And I have no idea why, it's just old-fashioned pot pie. But make it with stellar ingredients and a little love... off the hook.

Alecto: Awesome. What a beautiful version, and I guess I can see why pate brise didn't satisfy: you didn't get those puffy flaky puffs. ;)