Monday, March 29, 2010

Puff-Goes-the-Chicken Pot Pies Adventure

So, March came quietly and is almost gone.  I have been very busy with school work assignments and testing them at home before the class - whenever possible.  Luckily this recipe is a winner - Curry Chicken Pot Pie (www.foodnetwork.com - Alton Brown's).  I added my own favorite vegetables or seafood (shrimps), and they all turned out delicious.  My family loves them.
The only tricky part with this chicken pot pie is the Puff Pastry (Bo Friberg's "The Professional  Pastry Chef", 4th ed.  I make only 1/2 batch).  How can you keep the puff pastry from getting soggy bottom and keep the rise.  After my first pot pies, I immediately thought of freezing the Puff tops; then also the temptation to make it more 'soupy' is not too great an idea.  The Puff pastry top didn't like too much 'moisture' underneath.  Draping the sides over the ramekin helped some, but freezing the puff tops and baking at 425'F helped in baking beautifully.
Other than that, I baked 8 to 16 pot pies each week for the past 3 weeks, and they turned out great.  Delicious!
(*Double click on images to view larger image.)

2 comments:

  1. Amazing photos. Your adventure of food is very good. I love your blog and its photos. Keep posting, I just subscribe to your blog. And yes, Puff Pie have many varieties. Been a Baker Chef, I love to look for it.
    - Sathorn,
    Puff & Pie | Puff & Pie | Puff & Pie bakery

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  2. Hello, Puff & Pie, thank you for stopping by. I sure hope you will do well in the Puff Pie because almost all the pot pies that I've ever seen are in 'cold' display & pre-made. My tip for you is to have the pie's puff pastry ready in the freezer, and top the pot pie and Bake them as the order comes in. You will have a wonderful fresh tasy Puff Pie that will fit your name well! Good luck!

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