Thursday, October 13, 2011

Crusty, Smoky Story

I had big plans for that smoky pastured chicken - it may have been expensive initially but I was going to reduce the cost/meal ratio dramatically by using it all up.

After our initial meal - which was ambrosial, by the way - I decided to pick the meat off the carcass for another go at chicken pot pie. I was pretty sure that smoky flavor would be transformative to that lowly dish. I was correct.

I made two pot pies out of the leftover chicken, one for us and one for my neighbors, who are experiencing a very busy time right now. If I had wanted to be just slightly less generous to the neighbors, I could have squeezed three pot pies out of the remainder of the chicken and no one would have felt cheated. I added the usual veggies - sautéed pearl onions, garlic, diced carrots, peas (next time, I'm going for mushrooms, too) - sauced it as usual, and topped with the scraps left over from the show-off crust on the neighbors' pie.

I don't cook with salt so it needed a sprinkle at the table but, otherwise, it was splendid. The smokiness made everything else taste new and unexpected, almost exotic, if one can say that about so pedestrian a dish. Scheherazade might have served this to Shahryar as she spun her tales for him, and he'd have spared her for her pot pie alone.

7 Comments:

Blogger Toons said...

Reading about using smoked chicken in your pie got me to thinking. What about using roasted duck (legs and thighs)? Would that be too greasy or would it be exquisite?

Thursday, October 13, 2011  
Blogger Zoomie said...

James, if you took off the skin, I think it would be good. You could reserve the skin for cracklings to top the pie - oooo!

Thursday, October 13, 2011  
Blogger Toons said...

I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down!

Thursday, October 13, 2011  
Blogger Greg said...

I've always wondered why they are called pot pies and not pan pies. Then I wonder about a lot of silly things. Tasty looking!

Thursday, October 13, 2011  
Blogger Zoomie said...

James, giggle.

Greg, that's a good question. Here are some possible answers:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpies.html#potpie

Thursday, October 13, 2011  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

I love that you used Janine's pan. Adore pot pie. And... Remember "shepherd's" pie with chicken, yum.

Thursday, October 13, 2011  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Cookiecrumb, oh, my goodness, yes! What a good idea! Must make that next time I have a chicken to pick. Mashed 'taters with skins left on.

Thursday, October 13, 2011  

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