Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: About 1½ hours
My version of the comfort food classic is hearty and rich without relying on too much flour or cream. Use homemade chicken stock if at all possible. Even a quick stock made from chicken parts—backbone, wings, etc.—and a carrot, stalk of celery, and bay leaf boiled for 30 to 60 minutes will be better than anything store-bought. See the Slab Pie variation to easily scale up any pie to feed an army.
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter in a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. (If you like, you can make the filling in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and bake it right in that pan after topping it with the crust.) Add the onion and carrots, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon until it’s incorporated into the vegetables, tan in color, and no longer smells raw, just a couple of minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock and thyme and bring the mixture to a simmer; stir in the chicken and simmer until it’s just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and the cream if you’re using it, season with salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.
3. Transfer the chicken mixture to a deep 2-quart ovenproof casserole or a deep-dish pie plate. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough large enough to cover the casserole (see page 255 for how to roll out pie crust). Cover the casserole with the dough, crimping the edges using any of the methods described on page 257. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush it all over the crust. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; use a sharp paring knife to cut two or three 2-inch-long slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.
4. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
SLAB PIE The best way to make pie for a crowd; the slices are also easy to grab and take on the go, and since it uses the same amount of filling, you can swap in whichever variation you like: Make 1½ recipes Savory Piecrust. Divide it in half and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap. To bake, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and roll one dough half so it’s a few inches larger than the sheet. Work quickly; if the dough starts to warm up or get greasy, pause and stick it in the fridge for 10 minutes or so. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, press it up the sides, and spread the filling evenly over it. Roll the other piece of dough so that it’s just barely larger than the baking sheet and place it over the filling. Crimp the edges to seal, brush with the egg wash, and cut a couple slits in the top crust. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
CURRIED CHICKEN POT PIE Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger along with the onions and carrots and 2 teaspoons curry powder along with the flour. Omit the rosemary and substitute unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk for the dairy cream.
SEAFOOD POT PIE Omit the rosemary and chicken. Add up to 2 cups roughly chopped shrimp, scallops, flaky white fish, salmon, or lobster along with the peas. Stir in some chopped fresh parsley and a little lemon zest (if you like) along with the seafood.
MUSHROOM POT PIE Omit the chicken; use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian. After the onions and carrots have softened slightly, add 3 cups chopped mushrooms and cook until their liquid has released and evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. For extra mushroom flavor, simmer the stock with ¼ cup dried porcini, turn off the heat, and let sit. Chop and add the rehydrated porcini along with the peas. When adding the stock, be careful not to include any porcini sediment from the bottom of the saucepan.
CLAM PIE A Long Island classic, like chowder in pie form: Make a double recipe of the Savory Piecrust, fit the bottom crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, roll out the top crust and transfer to a rimless baking sheet, then chill both; scrap everything else. Boil 3 peeled medium russet potatoes until soft, drain, and mash roughly with a fork. While they are boiling, crisp 6 slices chopped bacon in a skillet and transfer to a paper towel; add a chopped onion and 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the skillet and cook until golden. Add the bacon and onions to the potatoes along with 3 cups chopped raw clams, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ cup clam juice (optional; use any liquid that came with the clams, or bottled is fine), salt, and pepper. Spoon the filling into the pie plate, dot it with a few small cubes of butter, and cover with the top crust. Brush and bake as directed.