Chicken Pot Pie - rough draft

Crust:

• 2 c. all purpose flour, before sifting
• 1 tsp salt (use sugar if making a pie)
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled but not too cold
• 1/3 c. Crisco shortening

Sift flour once.  You now have MORE than 2 cups.  Add 1/2 tsp salt to 1 cup sifted flour and re-sift.  Add the other 1/2 tsp salt to a second cup of sifted flour and re-sift.  Push the leftover unsalted flour aside to use to flour your work surface later. 

Mix in butter and Crisco to the 2 cups salted, sifted flour until you have pea sized grains.  A pastry cutter will help.

• 5 Tbsp warm water

Mix in warm water to form dough.  Add more water if too dry.

Roll into log and cut in half.  Use one half for bottom of pie and other half for the top.  Put bottom crust in a deep dish pie plate and set aside.

Filling:

• 2 leg quarters of chicken, with skin
• 8 c. water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground sage
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 lb baby carrots, sliced
• 3 med russet potatoes, cubed
• other veggies: peas, corn, or green beans to your liking

Boil chicken in water with salt, pepper, ground cumin, ground sage, ground turmeric, and garlic powder.

When chicken is done, remove it and discard skin, bones, and gristle.  Divide broth into 2 portions.  Add shredded chicken meat, carrots, potatoes, onions and other veggies to first pan of broth and simmer.  In second pan, use other half of broth to make a thick gravy.  When veggies in first pan are tender, add the thick gravy until it dissolves into the first pan.

When ready, add filling to bottom pie crust.  Place top crust over pot pie and bake in oven at 350 until golden brown.  Serve hot.