Home Made Pie Of The Day Recipe

Make the dough

In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt. Add cold cubed butter (and optional shortening) and toss to coat with flour. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6–8 rotations with a pastry cutter or 8–10 seconds with a food processor).

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over the mixture and gently fold with a fork. Add remaining 1 tablespoon only if needed; stop when dough just comes together when pinched (do not overwork).

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a ball, flatten into a disk about 1-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes (up to 2 days).

Prepare egg wash

Whisk together the egg and cold milk in a small bowl, set aside refrigerated until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). If using leftover cold chicken, bring to room temperature or warm slightly; set aside.

Sauté aromatics and vegetables

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbs butter. Add diced onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Make the roux and sauce

Sprinkle 3 tbs of flour over the softened vegetables and stir to coat; cook 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually pour in 1 cup chicken broth while stirring to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup milk or cream, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Add the shredded chicken and frozen peas to the skillet and stir until evenly coated and heated through. Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley and lemon juice (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning. Let the filling cool 10–15 minutes so it thickens slightly before assembling the pie.

Roll and line pan

Lightly flour your work surface with 1/4 cup flour. Remove chilled pastry disk from fridge and let sit 5 minutes so it becomes slightly more pliable. Roll out about two-thirds of the dough into a circle large enough to line a 9-inch pie dish with a 1-inch overhang (about 12 inches diameter). Gently transfer dough to pie dish and press into the bottom and sides, leaving the overhang.

Add filling

Spoon the cooled chicken filling into the lined pie dish and smooth the top to an even layer.

Top crust

Roll remaining dough to cover the pie (or cut decorative shapes). Place top crust over filling and trim overhang to about 1/2 inch; fold the bottom edge under the top edge and crimp to seal. Cut 2–4 small steam vents in the top. Brush entire top with prepared egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt if desired.

Bake

Place pie on a baking sheet to catch any spills. Bake in preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 25–30 minutes, until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling. If the edges brown too quickly, shield them with foil.

Rest and serve

Remove pie from oven and let rest on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing. This helps the filling set for cleaner slices. Serve warm in wedges.

For a sweet pie of the day (fruit): replace the filling section with 4 cups prepared fruit (berries, apples, peaches), 3/4 cup sugar (adjust to fruit sweetness), 3 tbs cornstarch or 1/4 cup flour, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon as needed. Toss fruit with sugar, starch and spices, let macerate 10 minutes then fill pie and bake as directed, reducing baking time to ensure fruit is tender and crust golden.