Chicken Pot Pie (Pennsylvania Dutch Bott Boi)

http://teriskitchen.com/pa-dutch-recipes/chicken-pot-pie-bott-boi.html

Serves 6 to 8

This recipe for Chicken Pot Pie, sometimes spelled 'Potpie', is an old Pennsylvania Dutch favorite, called Bott Boi in PA German. It is a stew with squares of dough that are a cross between noodles and dumplings. You can use packaged pot pie noodles, but homemade are so much better, and I posted two versions below. Traditionally, pot pie is served with a salad of greens and hot bacon dressing, which is in the similar and related recipes. Some PA Dutchmen call this stew 'Slippery Chicken' and southerners make an identical dish that they call 'Chicken and Pastry'. Pot pie in most regions is a meat and vegetable dish covered with a pastry dough and baked in the oven. Then there is Chicken and Dumplings, also in the similar and related recipes, which is the same as Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken and Pastry except that dumplings are substituted for the noodle-like dough. Are you totally confused? Whatever you call it, it is superb!

Notes about dough: I have included two versions of pot pie dough. The first, my Grandmom Weber's, is probably traditional. It is basically an egg noodle dough. The second came from my mother and is slightly fluffier, more like what she remembers my other grandmother making. Both are very good. However, you can use really good fresh, frozen or dried store-bought pot pie dough, about one 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.

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
• Pot pie dough (see recipes below)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons flour blended with 3 tablespoons cup cold water (optional for thickening broth)

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 more salt and pepper if needed. (Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.)

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add the reserved chicken. Gradually layer the pot pie 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.

Grandmom's Pot Pie Dough

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, not sifted
• 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 Pot Pie Dough

• 4 cups buttermilk baking mix (Mom always used 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 that is stiff enough to roll out. Roll dough on a surface lightly floured with more baking mix to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch squares. Set aside until needed. (Place in single layers and separate with waxed or parchment paper.)

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