Turkey Pot Pie
Greetings food adventurers! Today we shelter from the winter cold in the small mining town of Baerlon, just north of Emond’s Field in the Two Rivers. Winds blow strongly down from the Mountains of Mist, but we have a warm inn with the best comfort food. Turkey pot pie is the special of the day. Although Aes Sedai are rarely seen here these days, the cook traditionally marks every pie with the Flame of Tar Valon to ward off evil and to remind us that days with more light are ahead.
The town’s mining equipment and blacksmiths are silent today. Beyond the kitchen sounds, all we hear is the wind, making the windows and walls creak and groan. The townspeople occupy themselves with indoor activities today to stay out of the cold. Many are baking, sewing, weaving, or planning out the spring gardens. Some sit in front of fireplaces and re-read well-loved books. Others play games of snakes and ladders or stones, leaving responsibilities for another day. The town hibernates for now, looking forward to spring.
To make this delicious meal yourself, it is just a matter of preparing a pie crust, cooking the filling, then baking it all together. Turkey pot pie is an excellent use of holiday leftovers. After we are tired of turkey, I chop up and freeze the rest, and this can come straight out of the freezer and into the pie filling. You can make your own pie crust or use a pre-made one. The veggies and herbs can vary depending on what you have handy. If there is more filling than will fit in the pie, the extra is delicious on top of egg noodles.
(In the Wheel of Time books, Baerlon is where Rand and Mat meet Min. In the TV show, this is where Mat tells the barmaid Dana that he and Rand are from, to avoid telling her they are from Emond’s Field.)
Turkey Pot Pie
Equipment
- Pie plate
- Pie shield or aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust top and bottom, uncooked
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups 12 oz chicken or veggie broth
- 1 medium Russet potato cut to 1/2” dice
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 to 2 cups cubed COOKED turkey or chicken
- ½ cup frozen peas no need to thaw
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Optional vegetables: parsnips, celeriac, spinach, green beans, mushrooms, etc. (all should be pre-cooked so they don’t make the pie soggy)
Instructions
- Put diced potatoes and carrots in a pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until almost tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and carrots. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- In a large pot, make a roux with the butter and flour on medium low heat. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broth to the pot and stir well. Bring heat up to a simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened like gravy.
- Add pre-cooked veggies, meat, salt, and herbs to the gravy. Stir gently and heat until everything is warmed. Remove from heat.
- Pour the filling into a prepared pie crust, then cover with second pie crust. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together.
- Use a knife to cut several slits in the top crust, to allow steam to escape.
- Put pie shield on, or create a circle of aluminum foil and put it over the edges of the crust. This will help keep the edges from burning.
- Bake at 425 for 45 minutes. Let cool for a bit before serving, so the filling has time to firm up.
