Three French ‘Hen’ Pies

Recipe Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

For Pie Crust

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening, frozen
• 3/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon cold water, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

For Filling

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Onion Powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tbsp-1 tbsp. honey mustard (depending on taste preference)
• 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken (from 1 large rotisserie chicken) OR leftover turkey
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (if needed)

For Assembly

• 1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons of water

Directions

For Pie Crust: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and pepper with a fork. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate butter directly into dry ingredients. Slice the shortening into small chunks and sprinkle into the flour. Mix together with a fork or a rubber spatula. (Mixture should resemble coarse bread crumbs, with chunks of butter/shortening throughout) Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the water, beaten egg and vinegar. Mix together until just combined, then turn out onto a cutting board or pastry mat dusted with flour. Working quickly, pat and press with your hands until you have a mass of dough that holds together. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at LEAST one hour, but preferably overnight.

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until the onions are translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bag of frozen veggies, cook for further 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute more. Remove the vegetables and garlic from the pot.

Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture is just starting to turn golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the vegetables back to the pot, along with the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme. Season with salt, black pepper, onion powder and the honey mustard. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the cream, and chicken and return to a simmer. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove the mixture from the heat.

(If you need to thicken the mixture up, dissolve the cornstarch in about 1/2 cup of cold water with a fork, then stir this into the chicken mixture, allowing it to cook uncovered for about 5 minutes more until it reaches the desired consistency)

Refrigerate the filling overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

Preheat oven to 375°. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into quarters. Keep the other 3 in the fridge while you work with one. Sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Roll dough out with floured rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 4-5 inch circles and place two heaping tablespoons of filling on each. (Don’t overfill, it will mess up your finish) Use your fingers to rub the bottom edge with water or egg wash, then pull the top edge over the filling and press down to fuse the two edges together. You may crimp the outer edges afterwards with a fork if you like. Repeat until you’ve used all of the dough, keeping unused rounds AND filled pies in the fridge as you work to keep the dough cold as possible.

Once finished, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place pies on pan. Brush the tops with the beaten egg, then bake on the middle rack until dough is cooked through & golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.