My Prairie Cookbook (14 page)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup (130 g) baby carrots

1 cup (135 g) frozen green peas

1 cup (115 g) fresh or frozen pearl onions

4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (60 g) unsalted butter

2½ cups (220 g) cremini mushrooms, trimmed and cut into quarters

¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour

2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17-ounce/485-g package)

1 large egg, beaten

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Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

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Place the chicken pieces, onion, celery, and chopped carrots in a large stockpot; season with salt and pepper and add enough water to cover. Wrap the thyme and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with kitchen twine to enclose, then tie the twine to the pot handle so you don't have to fish around for it; add it to the pot. Cover the pot and place it over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables and herbs in the cheesecloth (the bouquet garni), and reserve the chicken and broth separately; set aside to let cool.

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Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice-water bath. Add the baby carrots to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, strain them out and immediately transfer them to the ice-water bath until cool. Drain and set aside. Put the peas in the boiling water and cook for about 30 seconds; strain them out and set aside. Add the pearl onions to the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute; drain them and transfer them to the ice-water bath until cool. Drain and set aside.

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Heat 1 teaspoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes; let cool.

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Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place them in a large heat-proof bowl along with the baby carrots, peas, pearl onions, and mushrooms.

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In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons (55 g) of butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the reserved cooking broth and the cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces; season with salt and pepper. Add the liquid to the bowl with chicken and vegetables, tossing to combine.

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Divide the mixture evenly among four 13-ounce (390-ml) shallow baking dishes. Cut the puff pastry into four 8-inch (20-cm) circles and place one on top of each of the baking dishes, crimping the edges. Cut a slit in the center of each piece of puff pastry; brush the beaten egg over the puff pastry.

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Transfer the baking dishes to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

There's something very prairie about a savory dinner pie. About all pies, in fact. I can't make a homemade piecrust to save my life, but I do love pie, and these individual hand pies are divine. So thank you, whoever invented the modern refrigerated piecrust. Serve this with Greeny McGreen Green Salad (
this page
) on the side.

Serves 8

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 (6-ounce/170-g) beef tenderloin steaks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1¾ cups (260 g) red-skin potato cubes (⅓-inch/8-mm)

1½ cups (135 g) chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon steak sauce

2 large scallions, chopped

4 (9-inch/23-cm) refrigerated piecrusts, warmed to room temperature (Not in pie tins; you'll find the ones I'm talking about in the dairy section of your local supermarket.)

1 large egg, beaten

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Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook until medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and cut them into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes.

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Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Add the potatoes, leeks, and mustard. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

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Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Add the steak sauce and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the scallions. Season the filling to taste with salt and pepper. Let it cool completely.

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Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Unfold the piecrusts on a work surface. Cut each crust into two pieces along the center fold. Brush the dough with the beaten egg. Place ½ cup (120 ml) of the filling on half of each piece. Fold the untopped side of the dough over the filling and crimp the crust closed with a fork to seal the edges. Brush the tops of the pies with more egg and arrange them on two baking sheets.

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Bake the pies for 15 minutes, then switch the baking sheets and continue baking until the crusts are golden and the filling is heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Let the pies cool on wire racks for a few minutes before serving.

This recipe is one of my all-time favorite family meals. It is a complete meal unto itself and a big hit with kids and adults alike. If you want, you can substitute ground lamb, beef, turkey, chicken, or soy meat for the lamb cubes (or any combination of them), but please try it first with the cubed lamb. You won't be sorry!

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter

2 pounds (910 g) lamb shoulder, cut into cubes

2 carrots, chopped

2 leeks (white parts only), chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups (360 ml) beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary leaves

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (16-ounce/455-g) bag frozen peas, thawed

3 large russet potatoes (about 1½ pounds/680 g), cut into chunks

½ to 1 cup (120 to 240 ml) half-and-half

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Melt about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven. Sauté the lamb in batches until brown on all sides, adding a bit more butter if needed as you go. Transfer the cooked lamb to a platter as it browns.

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Add the carrots and leeks to the Dutch oven, and cook until soft. Return the lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot. Sprinkle with the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Cook until thickened, about 45 minutes. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat.

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Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water until tender. Drain and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining butter (reserving 1 tablespoon), the half-and-half (as needed), and salt and pepper and mash until smooth.

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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Top the lamb mixture in the Dutch oven with the mashed potatoes. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into small bits and scatter over the potatoes. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve hot.