When
I was in first year of undergraduate, there were many reasons why I looked
forward to going back home. Sleeping in my own bed (my comfortable bed), not
having to sanitize the whole bathroom before I went in, having clean dishes
when I needed them and knowing that they were not used in some nasty dorm
experiment, and the chicken pie. Yes, the chicken pie.
There
was a set menu. It never failed. The first night was unmistakably chicken
noodle soup and a steak. (I don’t know how I did without eating red meat in the
UK for over a year. After a while I gave up, in defeat, and dug in. If mad cow
were to get me, I’d get it back).
The
chicken noodle soup was the precursor for next day’s meal: the chicken pie.
My
mom knew. They all do.
Chicken
pie is actually an oxymoron, because it has no pie in it. It’s more like a
chicken hot pot. The only difference from the usual chicken hot pot is that
this one is the mother of all chicken hot pots. No jokes.
Now,
I know that there are some people out there who are already smiling because the
chicken pie goes way back, and they were there when it all started. Those two
words were the first English words that my childhood partner-in-crime and
myself learned: Çikın pay.
According
to family gossip, my mom got this recipe from my grandfather, who had spent time in
the US as a student from the mid-1940s to early 1950s. As a young and hungry
man, he had to provide for himself and learned how to cook the American way. Along
with stuffed roast turkey, his pool of recipes included a dish called “chicken à
la king”, which actually has pieces of white bread in it. I think chicken pie
is my mom’s interpretation of this famous “chicken à la king”. But in my books,
chicken pie remains the king.
It’s
a foolproof way of making kids eat their peas, literally. It has chicken (duh),
peas, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and béchamel sauce. Topped with cheese, it’s
every kid’s dream. At least, it was ours.
Here
is the famed chicken pie recipe for your Mothers’ Day lunch.
Oh I forgot the most important reason: I missed my mom.
Happy Mothers’ Day!
Chicken Pie
Serves
8
1
whole happy chicken, poached & stock reserved
3
tablespoons unsalted butter
4
tablespoons plain flour
1½
cups hot milk
2
medium potatoes, diced
1
big or two medium carrots, diced
1½
cup green peas
10
button mushrooms, diced
1
teaspoon salt
½
teaspoon black pepper
1½
cup grated cheese (e.g. mild cheddar, gruyere, aged mozzarella)
Wash
and pat dry your chicken (make sure to take the giblets out). Put it in a large
stockpot and cover with cold water up to two-thirds. Cover and bring to a boil.
Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for
about 30 minutes. Turn the heat off completely and let the chicken cool down in
the pot while you’re preparing the rest.
Make
the béchamel. This is the part that requires strong will and muscle power. Melt
the butter in a medium saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and
keep stirring (preferably with a wooden spoon) until well combined. It’s ok if
the mixture crumbles. Add the first ladle of hot milk and keep stirring. Add
the next ladle of milk once the first one has been absorbed completely. Keep
adding ladlefuls of milk, stirring continuously and allowing each ladleful to
be absorbed completely. By now you should have a very thick sauce. The aim is
to have a creamy sauce. This requires about 2 cups of liquid. Make up the rest
of the liquid with the chicken stock that you reserved from your poached
chicken (you can freeze the rest of the chicken stock for a later use). Season
with salt and pepper and keep your béchamel warm on very low hit.
Boil/steam
your veggies. First put the potatoes and the carrots. A few minutes later add the
mushrooms and finally the peas. Let the vegetables cook until the potatoes and
carrots are tender and set aside. I personally use frozen peas and carrots
(there is actually a very handy carrot and pea mix in stores).
Now,
the dirty part. Shred your chicken to the bone. I know it sounds cruel, but
that’s the way it’s done. Use your hands, because you want every piece of meat,
no skin. From a medium size chicken you should be able to get about 3 cups of
meat, if not more
Add
the veggies and chicken pieces into the béchamel sauce and give it a good stir.
Taste, and season if necessary. Pour the mixture in a large glass or ceramic dish
and top with grated cheese. Put the pan in the oven and cook at 400°F (200°C)
until the cheese turns golden, about 20 minutes.
The
chicken pies goes very well with rice.
Aaaah…
