5.9.15

CHICKEN PIE

Do you remember the chicken ala king with the canned mushroom soup and the bullion cubes? Chicken Pie, AKA Bizzy Lizzy’s Fish Pie recipe, is nothing like that! It is true that we eat with our eyes first. When I first saw it on Lizzy’s blog I wanted to have a helping, what kept me back aside from the huge distance, haha, was the fish thing. I fully resent everything that swims, floats or crawls in water. Then came the aha moment and I thought I could make this with chicken! I am so glad I did; the pie turned out superb. It is now up there among my comfort foods. Anyone who loves seafood will adore Lizzy’s recipe. What follows here is the cluck-cluck version. Jim and I loved it on the first day, but just as Lizzy said, it was even better the following day.

Instead of fennel and dill seeds, I used parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The popular song by Simon and Garfunkel is a perfect reminder what herbs would work with chicken. I didn’t have leftover mashed potatoes, but even if I had, the amount left over from two people would have been insufficient. I also substituted some of the potatoes with celeriac and after half way though it occurred to me I could have cooked them in a homemade chicken stock... maybe next time if I remember. The potatoes and the chicken stew layer were ready about the same time.

Simon & Garfunkel Scarborough Fair



CHICKEN PIE
Note: The layers listed in the order of preparation. The Chicken layer is on the bottom, the mashed potato layer is in the middle and the cheese layer is on the top.
Potato Layer:
6 potatoes
1 heaping Tbsp butter
1/8 cup warm heavy cream
1 egg yolk
Chicken Layer:
skinless, deboned chicken breast [150-200g] in slivers
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 heaped Tbsp flour
1/2 cup frozen peas
parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
1 cup milk
Cheese Layer:
1 cup grated aged cheese, like cheddar

  • Peal, wash and dice the potatoes.
  • Cook in water until tender.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • While the potatoes cook, prepare the chicken layer.
  • Wash, dry and sliver the chicken breast meat and finely chop the onion.
  • Add the oil and the butter to a large non-stick skillet.
  • Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
  • On medium heat, sauté the chicken in the buttery oil until fully cooked.
  • Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
  • Add the cooked onion to the remaining buttery oil in the pan, lightly salt it and sauté until very soft.
  • Sprinkle flour over the soft onions and stir.
  • Pour in the milk, stir and bring to a slow simmer.
  • Add the herbs. Sprinkle with dry herbs lightly; add more if fresh herbs are used.
  • Slowly cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Adjust the salt and remove skillet from the heat.
  • When the potatoes are tender drain, mash and add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Whip or stir until combined.
  • Grease the base and sides of a large glass pie plate or medium sized ovenproof dish with butter.
  • Layer the chicken mixture in the greased dish.
  • Fully cover with the potato layer, sealing the edges.
  • Grate the cheese on the top and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

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It began with posting a few recipes on line for the family. "zsuzsa is in the kitchen" has more than 1000 Hungarian and International recipes. What started out as a private project turned into a well visited blog. The number of visitors long passed the two million mark. I organized the recipes into an on-line cookbook. On top of the page click on "ZSUZSA'S COOKBOOK". From there click on any of the chapters to access the recipes. For the archive just scroll to the bottom of the page. I am not profiting from my blog, so visitors are not harassed with advertising or flashy gadgets. The recipes are not broken up with photos at every step. Where needed the photos are placed following the recipe. Feel free to cut and paste my recipes for your own use. Publication is permitted as long as it is in your own words and with your own photographs. However, I would ask you for an acknowledgement and link-back to my blog. Happy cooking!