Huntsman Chicken Pot Pie

Warning: Spoilers everywhere.
Arya demonstrates her killer pie making skills:
Season 6, Episode 10: The Winds of Winter

Now, let's talk about that PIE! ​

After six seasons of this show toying with the Starks, Arya finally returns to Westeros like a BOMB. It's a satisfying moment, a gruesome moment, and a seriously disturbing moment as we watch Arya graduate from a loose cannon to a seasoned assassin. She's not the same girl who took her chances with the down and dirty revenge killings of Polliver and Meryn Trant, she's clearly giving some careful thought to the the method and manner of her vengeful return. A girl has a plan. And that plan involves the baking of a very special pie.

A traditional British Huntsman pie is a complicated thing - a savory pie with 3 different cuts of pork, chicken and stuffing. It is also on Saveur magazine's top 13 most difficult recipes. Friends, this is NOT that pie. Or this amazing pie. Sadly, I am not nearly skilled (or patient) enough for these recipes, but I do love a good chicken pot pie - a stewy, gravy-filled, double-crusted pie of cozy. Arya likes pies, Hot Pie likes pies, I like pie. What better place to begin this food obsessed tour of Game of Thrones? 

This recipe is adapted from the Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie recipe from Emily McDowell at Food52; a double crust pie baked in a 9" springform pan, it's a magnificent pie to behold.  I mean, what's better than a chicken pot pie? A DEEP DISH chicken pot pie, that's what. It really is impressive, Hot Pie would be proud.  This pie is massive - it will feed 6-8 as a dinner entree, as many Freys as you would care to entertain. All the ones worth a damn, anyway.

I've been making a Huntsman stew for years, for so long I don't even remember the source of this recipe. What makes this a real Huntsman stew? That information is lost to time, but I imagine the foraging of mushrooms and wild onion and rashers of bacon accompanying a huntsman on his travels in the wood, but that's just a story. Let's just say this is my Huntsman stew. It's been a staple for many cold winter nights - a cozy braise of chicken, bacon, mushrooms and onions in a white wine gravy and served over soft polenta. It's delicious - and why not use this in a pot pie? In pot pie form carrots, celery, and peas round out the filling for maximum pot pie-ness.

As for Hot Pie's brown butter pie crust method, browning the butter before adding it to the dough...It's brilliant idea in theory, but it didn't quite pan out for me. I'm sorry Hot Pie, I tried. I found that browning the butter and then re-chilling it into cubes before making the pie dough may have changed the composition of the butter, and instead of flakiness, the crust was flat and greasy. I went back to a classic all-butter pie crust and then brushed brown butter on the top crust for a lovely glaze and that beautiful nutty aroma. 
​
So cue up an episode or two of Game of Thrones, throw together a big green salad, a bottle of your finest Arbor Gold, and serve up this delicious pie to your guests. But you know, maybe just not exactly like Arya Stark. ​

---

Huntsman Chicken Pot Pie
serves 6-8; makes one 9-inch deep dish pie
adapted from Emily McDowell
​
For the crust:

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cups ice water, plus more as needed

For the filling and assembly:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pkg bacon
• 1 lb. crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 3 lbs. chicken thighs (whatever Arya, I use chicken.)
• 1 1/3 cup frozen peas
• ​5 1/2 tbsp flour
• egg wash for finishing
• 1 stick butter, browned, for finishing

Make the pie crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat. Cut the butter into the flour with your hands or pastry cutter (I prefer using my hands), until the butter resembles the size of walnut halves.
3. Add the water and mix to combine. Add more water as needed to get the dough to come together. It should not be wet or sticky. Divide the dough - 2/3 for the bottom crust and 1/3 for the top crust. Wrap each piece of dough and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger quantity of dough to 1/4-inch thick. Transfer it to the springform and trim the edge so there is 1/2-inch overhang all around. Chill the dough inside the pan for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
5. Dock the chilled dough with a fork on the base and sides. Line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights, and bake until the crust is beginning to brown at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights. If the base looks visibly wet or under baked, return the crust to the oven without the pie weights for another 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Make the filling:

1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven, and add chopped bacon over medium high heat. The fat will render out as the bacon cooks to crispness, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from pan to a separate plate and let drain on paper towels. Remove and set aside 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add chicken pieces to the pot carefully, and brown on both sides. You may have to do this in batches. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Add onions, celery, and carrot and sweat until the onions are translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute for 3 minutes more. Add chicken broth and wine. Add chicken back to the pot with bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a simmer. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the 5 1/2 tablespoons of flour into the reserved bacon fat to make a slurry. Add mixture to the pot, and stir.  Simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, turn off heat and cool completely. Add frozen peas - there is no need to thaw, the heat from the filling will thaw the peas without overcooking.
4. Remove chicken from pot, let cool. Chop or shred chicken, removing skin and excess fat, and return chicken and bacon to the pot. Ideally, cool the filling completely before assembly. Remove bay leaf and thyme.

Assemble the pie:

1. Mound the cooled filling into the cooled crust, pressing firmly to ensure minimal air pockets. Make a nice, rounded mound at the top.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller amount of dough to 1/4-inch thick. Use a rolling pin or parchment paper to transfer the dough to the top of the pie.
3. Trim away any excess dough, leaving 3/4 inch all the way around the edge. Nudge the edge down into the side of the springform pan so that it meets the top edge of the bottom crust. Push the crust down a bit so the excess puckers outward and creates a little lip, just like the edge of a typical pie. Press that outer lip together to seal the edges a bit, then crimp to seal. Brush beaten egg wash over the top crust evenly and cut vents into the top crust.
4. Transfer the pie to the prepared baking sheet and bake until the crust is very golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents, 45-50 minutes. If the pie is browning too much or too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and/or tent the top of the pie with foil.
5. Heat one stick of butter in small pan over medium heat, watching the pan constantly....brush brown butter over the top of the pie crust about 10 minutes before pulling out of the oven.
6. Cool the pie for 30-40 minutes before slicing and serving. If you slice too soon, the gravy will be too loose and it will run out of the pie. Unmold the outer edge of the springform pan. Slide an offset spatula around the edge of the base of the pan; if the pie is really cool and it feels solid in the middle, you'll likely be able to pick up the pie with your hands (or a large spatula) and transfer to a platter or stand. If it feels soft in the middle, you may rather keep it on the springform base for slicing. You may also want to prep a tray underneath the pie to catch any gravy that may ooze from the pie. I admit, I cut into my pie a bit too soon and the result was a bit messy, but I did have enough leftover gravy in the pot for the gravy lovers. (I feel ya, Hot Pie. It really is all about the gravy.)