Southern Chicken Pot Pie with Lard-Based Crust

My mom's pot pie is the kind of treat she only allows us one time per year. That one time is the day after Thanksgiving, when she uses the turkey skeleton to make homemade turkey stock, the leftover fat to make some gravy, and pulls the last of the dark meet from the bones to fill one of her homemade pie crusts. 

When we eat this, we always end up groaning as much, if not more, than after the Thanksgiving dinner itself. And yet we still always head back to the fridge to finish off the leftover pumpkin and pecan pies for dessert. 

Now that I have my own kitchen, I can cook whatever I want, whenever I want to cook it, provided that I have the time, energy, and resources. And I have all three when it comes to this favorite recipe. So last night, in defiance (like when I used to eat my Snack Pack puddings before my sandwich at lunch time), I made a chicken and veggie pot pie dinner for my roommates and a few of our friends.

My roommate rendered her own lard for this recipe with bacon grease from Avedano's, which is located just down the street from us here in Bernal Heights. You can also buy lard at the grocery store. You can make this with the lard-based crust recipe I'm providing, or use your own tried and true crust recipe (this one is an excellent standby when made with White Lily, minus the sugar)

So, without further ado, here are the photos of the final product as well as a recipe for both a vegetarian and chicken version of Southern Chicken Pot Pie

Pretty much what I ate for dinner last night.

The final setup, with the city as our backdrop.

Things started out so tame...

...And finished with such brutality.

Deep-Dish Southern Chicken Pot Pie with Lard-Butter Crust

(See directions for veggie in parentheses)

My mother's recipe

Ingredients

Lard-Butter Crust:

3 cups White Lily AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup lard

1/2 cup ice cold water

OPTIONAL: one egg, for egg wash

Filling:

1 tbsp butter

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup red potatoes, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup AP flour

2 1/2 cups stock (chicken or veggie)

1 cup half and half or heavy cream 

3 cups of roasted chicken breast

1 cup frozen peas

OPTIONAL (if vegetarian): Include 1 cup or more of fresh mushrooms. Vary the types for more flavor and texture.

1 tsp dried rosemary, or to taste

1 tsp dried thyme, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

NOTE: You can pretty much add any vegetable you prefer, given that you chop it to the right size.

Directions:

1. Make the pie crust: Mix together dry ingredients, then add in the butter in small cubes with a pastry knife until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Add in the lard until the mixture has lumps no larger than the size of peas. Add in the ice cold water 1 tbsp at a time until it is able to be rolled into a ball. From here, separate the dough into two balls, wrap it up, and put the dough in the fridge to let it chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few days.

2. Make the filling: In a large skillet, drop the butter and let it melt. Then add in the carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes. Cook 5-10 minutes or until slightly soft. 

3. Add in the flour half at a time, and cook for 1 minute to get the flour taste to cook out. It will look very dry, but have faith! You will persevere! Add the stock and the cream or half and half then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to your liking. I like a super thick filling, so I let mine cook a bit longer.

4. Add in the mushrooms or the chicken and also the rosemary and thyme, and let simmer some more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Remove from stove. 

6. Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out one of the balls of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Then press it into a deep-dish pie pan or casserole dish (I used two different sizes, as you can see in the photos. It doesn't really matter. If you have extra save it for the next pie you make, especially since you will probably have leftover filling). 

7. Place the dough in the oven to flash bake for 10 minutes. Once it starts to puff up a bit, remove and press your fork into the sides to let the air out. 

8. Pour the filling in. Roll out the other dough ball and create a top for your pie. Cut a slit in the top and place in the oven. If you want, brush egg over it to make it all shiny and pretty. Bake 50 minutes or until the top is slightly brown. 

9. Eat it right away! It tastes great when it's warm from the oven.