This was a curious choice for me. For one thing I don't like potpie. For another I don't usually eat pie crust. The only pie crust I've ever really liked is back when I used to make unbelievably good apple pie. I had a pie crust recipe that used only butter as the shortening. Then I lost the "touch". Pie crust, in my humble opinion, is one of those things you either have the touch or you don't. I had it and then lost it. Then I lost the recipe. When I saw the recipe for the pie crust and saw that it had only butter, I decided to see if I could make pie crust again. I had some cooked chicken left over and decided to try the potpie. I think of those disgusting little frozen things with that icky yellow gravy in them, when I think of potpie. Surely, this would be better. I mean, this is Thomas Keller, for heaven's sake.
This recipe took hours. I went into it thinking: throw some veggies and some chicken in a pie crust. Oh, no, no. Each veggie is cooked in a separate pan. The bechamel sauce takes a long time and lots of whisking. I kept mumbling, "This better be a damn good potpie."
The best part was making the crust. When it all started coming together, and I started the kneading, I knew. I've got it! I've got the "touch" back. The "touch" is using your instincts instead of your brain. When you are thinking it needs more water, the "touch" tells you that you don't. Then it comes together perfectly. The dough is smooth and you want to keep messing with it, but you don't. It rolls out beautifully. No sticky mess. No tearing. I stopped mumbling. This was gonna be good!
It was better than good. It was amazingly good. The veggies were bright and distinct and full of their own flavor. Oh, so that's why they are all cooked separately. The bechamel held everything together nicely, but didn't make a soupy mess...and it wasn't icky yellow. Then there was the crust. It was flaky and golden and even the bottom crust wasn't soggy. It was the best I've ever had. I ate every crumb, even the edges. The recipe serves 6, but there were 3 of us and we ate 3/4 of the pie. The other 3 people would have left very hungry. I used the pie crust trimmings to top a peach cobbler for dessert. I am going to become a pie-baking fool.
One thing I discovered, though, is that I'm not a huge fan of thyme. It's in a lot of recipes in this book and in a lot of my other cookbooks. I find it overpowering. I've used fresh and the dried Thyme in a Bottle (sorry, couldn't resist). I've decided to invoke my powers as Queen of my kitchen and leave it out or maybe just use a pinch. My kitchen, my rules.
This recipe took hours. I went into it thinking: throw some veggies and some chicken in a pie crust. Oh, no, no. Each veggie is cooked in a separate pan. The bechamel sauce takes a long time and lots of whisking. I kept mumbling, "This better be a damn good potpie."
The best part was making the crust. When it all started coming together, and I started the kneading, I knew. I've got it! I've got the "touch" back. The "touch" is using your instincts instead of your brain. When you are thinking it needs more water, the "touch" tells you that you don't. Then it comes together perfectly. The dough is smooth and you want to keep messing with it, but you don't. It rolls out beautifully. No sticky mess. No tearing. I stopped mumbling. This was gonna be good!
It was better than good. It was amazingly good. The veggies were bright and distinct and full of their own flavor. Oh, so that's why they are all cooked separately. The bechamel held everything together nicely, but didn't make a soupy mess...and it wasn't icky yellow. Then there was the crust. It was flaky and golden and even the bottom crust wasn't soggy. It was the best I've ever had. I ate every crumb, even the edges. The recipe serves 6, but there were 3 of us and we ate 3/4 of the pie. The other 3 people would have left very hungry. I used the pie crust trimmings to top a peach cobbler for dessert. I am going to become a pie-baking fool.
One thing I discovered, though, is that I'm not a huge fan of thyme. It's in a lot of recipes in this book and in a lot of my other cookbooks. I find it overpowering. I've used fresh and the dried Thyme in a Bottle (sorry, couldn't resist). I've decided to invoke my powers as Queen of my kitchen and leave it out or maybe just use a pinch. My kitchen, my rules.
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