Chicken-Apple-Gruyère Pie
Meat pies were popular throughout most of the Middle Ages, and even before and after. They still grace our tables in these modern times. This one is meant to approximate something that might have been served at a Viking Blot.
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Ingredients:
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In a large pot, heat up your cooking fat (bacon grease, olive oil, or butter) and add the onions. Sauté until they are clear and soft. Add in the chicken, and cook on medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Add your spices, stir well to mix in. Add apples, carrots, and turnip, and continue to cook until apples begin to release their liquid. Add enough broth to "not quite cover" the ingredients in the pot, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
When the apples are very soft and some of the liquid has cooked off, mix the cornstarch and rice flour into just enough water to form a smooth, loose paste. Add this to the pot a little at a time, and stir gently until the sauce thickens. Check the flavor, and adjust spices as you feel necessary. This pie should be a nice mix of sweet and savory, but not at all spicy.
Pour the filling into the pie crusts, then sprinkle the top of the pie with the grated cheese. Cover with a top crust, and cut vent holes in the top pastry. Cook according to the directions for the crust, usually 30 to 45 minutes. If you have very thick crust, cover the edges with a strip of tin foil to avoid burning them.
Serve with seasonal greens and mulled wine for a complete and delicious autumn meal!
When the apples are very soft and some of the liquid has cooked off, mix the cornstarch and rice flour into just enough water to form a smooth, loose paste. Add this to the pot a little at a time, and stir gently until the sauce thickens. Check the flavor, and adjust spices as you feel necessary. This pie should be a nice mix of sweet and savory, but not at all spicy.
Pour the filling into the pie crusts, then sprinkle the top of the pie with the grated cheese. Cover with a top crust, and cut vent holes in the top pastry. Cook according to the directions for the crust, usually 30 to 45 minutes. If you have very thick crust, cover the edges with a strip of tin foil to avoid burning them.
Serve with seasonal greens and mulled wine for a complete and delicious autumn meal!
Notes:
This recipe works equally well with home-made pastry or store-bought. Because I was making the original version of this for the Baronessa of Stonemarche, who cannot eat wheat, I chose to purchase a good quality gluten free pie shell. It was worth it, because it was incredibly delicious!
The pies can be made without the cheese for those who can't tolerate dairy (but be careful of the crusts, as many commercially made ones contain both soy and dairy). It can also be made with cheaper grated swiss, instead of the rather expensive Gruyère, and it still tastes wonderful. Picky children will eat several slices of this pie, so make two or three!
This recipe works equally well with home-made pastry or store-bought. Because I was making the original version of this for the Baronessa of Stonemarche, who cannot eat wheat, I chose to purchase a good quality gluten free pie shell. It was worth it, because it was incredibly delicious!
The pies can be made without the cheese for those who can't tolerate dairy (but be careful of the crusts, as many commercially made ones contain both soy and dairy). It can also be made with cheaper grated swiss, instead of the rather expensive Gruyère, and it still tastes wonderful. Picky children will eat several slices of this pie, so make two or three!
