Best Chicken Pie

A chicken pie that has lots of gravy and a salty/short crust.

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 9x13 seven pound chicken pie

Ingredients

• 2  lbs whole chickens, skinned and cut into pieces
• 1  lb chicken breast, bone-in and skinned
• 4  large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (Yukon Gold or Sheprody)
• 1  lb  frozen peas
• 2  medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 1⁄2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
•  salt and pepper
• 2  teaspoons onion powder
•  flour (plus water to make slurry to thicken gravy)

• Crust

• 2  cups flour
• 3⁄4 cup shortening
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  egg, beaten in a cup w/ enough water added to make 1/2 cup

Directions

1. In a large pot put whole chicken pieces and chicken breasts in enough water to cover (include cage but w/out giblets).
2. Add half the onions, season w/ S& P.
3. Simmer until the meat is very tender and falls easily off the bone.
4. Save liquid for gravy.
5. Cool meat thoroughly and pick chicken from bones.
6. Cook carrots and potatoes in chicken liquid until tender.
7. Season w/ S& P.
8. Remove veggies from liquid& cool them completely.
9. Add remaining onions and bring to a slow boil.
10. Reduce chicken/vegetable liquid by half.
11. Skim all fat from whole chicken broth.
12. Add onion powder.
13. Taste and reseason w/ S& P.
14. Whisk together 1 c.
15. of flour& 1 c.
16. +of water for a gravy slurry.
17. Slowly whisk slurry into broth and cook until gravy is thick.
18. Cool.
19. Add meat and vegetables into a 9x13x2 pan.
20. Add frozen peas on top.
21. Stir a bit.
22. Cover w/ gravy and cover w/ tin foil.
23. Chill thoroughly as this will keep the pie crust from becoming soggy (At this point you can freeze this pie and cover w/ crust later).
24. Crust: In a bowl add flour, salt, shortening.
25. Beat with an electric mixer on low until all is incorporated.
26. Do not overmix.
27. By hand mix in enough egg/water mixture so that dough holds together.
28. Roll out, cover pie, crimp edges and make vent slits in top.
29. Bake fresh pies at 350 F for 45 minutes plus or until crust is golden and chicken bubbling.
30. Frozen method: This crust can be placed on frozen chicken mixture and then be refrozen for later use.
31. Bake frozen pies for 70 minutes plus until crust is golden and chicken bubbling.