They’re called comfort foods, these simple viands prepared in home kitchens for those days when life gets a little heavy. They are satisfying, simple, easily prepared, and taste good. The list varies with individuals, but macaroni and cheese, apple pie, vegetable soup, and certainly chicken pie would be on it.
We have one for you. It is the simplest recipe for chicken pie involving chicken, broth and crust. We can thank Mrs. Polly Atkin for sharing the simple recipe with us. She is a member of Mt. Bethel Baptist Church in the Saluda Baptist Association, where Ronald Culbertson is pastor. Polly has gone to Mt. Bethel all her life and joined when she was 10 years old.
As have so many members, Polly has been involved in several areas of church life. At one time, she was in the choir and served on the church’s social committee. Polly currently works with the food committee, serving the bereaved.
Polly and her husband Joe had two children. Their late son Joey and his wife had three children – Joie Lynn, Joseph and Justin. Polly and Joe’s daughter Jan is married to Rayford Howell.
Polly Atkin
This recipe is from Polly’s aunt Lena Fisher, her mother’s sister. Because the pie serves so many, Polly doesn’t make it often with only her and Joe at home. But because the grandchildren often visit, there are many occasions to make chicken pie. Another thing she makes when the grandchildren are there is chicken salad – using chopped chicken, apples, celery, nuts, mayonnaise and salt. Everybody likes that.
There are as many ways to make chicken pie as there are to make potato salad or fruitcake, but this recipe is basic. Some cooks use canned cream of chicken or mushroom soup, adding peas, carrots, sliced hard-cooked eggs, wide noodles, sour cream, potatoes, etc. They are all good.
I am going to offer these distinctions and if they are not correct you can tell me. Chicken Pot Pie is cooked in a deep container with a crust only on top and baked in the oven. Chicken Casserole is baked in a more shallow dish, about 2 inches deep, with a crust or topped with bread crumbs, crushed cereal, stuffing mix, etc. Chicken Pie has pastry on the bottom, sides and top of the dish, and is often layered with the chicken as in Polly’s recipe.
It takes awhile to make a chicken pie, so use Polly’s recipe. Cook the chicken and make the crust on Saturday, then assemble and bake it the next day as a comfort food for … Sunday Dinner.
Lena Fisher’s Chicken Pie
1 small hen or large fryer
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
Pepper to taste
Cook chicken in water with a small amount of salt until tender. Take chicken off bones and leave in broth.
Mix flour, salt, shortening and enough ice water to make a stiff dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough thinly. Cut into strips and line sides and bottom of baking dish with the strips of dough. Put in half the chicken and broth. Cover with another layer of the pastry strips.
Pour on the remaining half of the chicken and broth. Dot with the butter and sprinkle with pepper. Top with remaining pastry strips. The broth should be level with the pastry strips so that the pie won’t be dry. Bake until pastry strips are a golden brown. Serves 10 or more.