CHICKEN POTPIE (Pot Pie)

SERVES 6-8

Chicken Potpie, as my family spelled it, is a PA Dutch favorite called "Bott Boi". Sometimes we get lazy and use packaged potpie noodles, but it is highly recommended that you make your own. By the way, after several years of living in the south, we discovered that the southern dish called 'Chicken and Pastry' is identical to this Pennsylvania Dutch favorite. 'Potpie'' in many regions is often a meat and vegetable dish covered with a pastry dough and baked in the oven. And then there is 'Chicken and Dumplings' which is the same as 'Chicken Potpie' and 'Chicken and Pastry' except that dumplings are substituted for the pastry dough. Are you totally confused? Whatever you call it, it is superb!

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts water

One 3 to 3-1/2 pound chicken

1 celery rib

1 medium onion

1 medium carrot

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Potpie dough (see below)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons flour blended with 3 tablespoons cup cold water (optional, for thickening)

Cook chicken in simmering water with celery, carrot, 1 onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper until tender, about 1 hour. Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken from bones, discard skin, and pull apart or cut into bite-size pieces. Strain the broth and skim off most of fat. Taste broth for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add the reserved chicken. Gradually layer the potpie dough squares into the boiling liquid, one-by-one, alternating with layers of the onion and potato slices, gently pushing down each layer until covered with the broth. Reduce heat and cover pot. Simmer, stirring gently on occasion to prevent dough from clumping together, until dough is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. (If desired, add flour and water paste to thicken broth at this time. Stir into broth very well to combine.) Serve immediately.

NOTES ABOUT DOUGHS: I have included two versions of potpie dough. The first, Grandmom's, is traditional. It is really an egg noodle dough. The second, my Mom's, is slightly fluffier, and more like what she remembers my other Grandmother making. Both are very good. Mom's is a little easier to make. However, you could use a really good fresh, frozen or dried store-bought potpie dough, about 1 pound. Either homemade dough can be made several hours ahead, lightly dusted with flour, and placed in layers, separated by waxed or parchment paper, on baking sheets in the refrigerator until needed.

GRANDMOM'S POTPIE DOUGH

2-1/2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon cold water

Mix 2 cups of the flour with the salt, eggs and water. Work in enough of the remaining 1/2 cup flour to make a stiff dough. Knead about 10 minutes. (Can be mixed and kneaded in processor or electric mixer.) Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into as thin a sheet as possible (or use a pasta rolling machine). Cut into 2-inch squares. Set aside until needed. (Place in single layers and separate with waxed or parchment paper.)

MOM'S POTPIE DOUGH

4 cups buttermilk baking mix (Mom uses Bisquick.)
2/3 cup milk

Stir together the baking mix and milk, adding more baking mix or milk as needed to make a soft dough, but stiff enough to roll out. Roll dough on a surface lightly floured with more baking mix into about a 1/8-inch sheet. Cut into 2-inch squares. Set aside until needed. (Place in single layers and separate with waxed or parchment paper.)

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