Chicken Mushroom and Herb Hand Pies

Winter is the season where everything should be stuffed into little pockets of pastry deliciousness.

The ingredients:

For the chicken

• 1 lb. chicken thighs

• 1 tbsp. garlic salt

• 1 tsp. black pepper

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. chopped oregano

For the filling

• 1 c. red potatoes, diced

• 2 tbsp. butter

• 3 tbsp. flour

• 3 green onions, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1.5 c. mushrooms, chopped

• 1/2 can cream of mushroom (or chicken)

• leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

• zest of one lemon

• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley

• 1 c. chicken stock

Before the oven

• 2 package pie dough

• 1 egg

The process:

To begin, toss your chicken in olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper. I, personally, air fry for 13 minutes on 365, then 5 more minutes at 400. If preferred, you can also bake, sautee, fry, etc. After the chicken is finished cooking, let it cool, chop into bite-sized pieces, and then take a paper towel and remove as much moisture as possible.

Meanwhile, boil your diced potatoes until they’re “al dente.” You don’t want them to be quite fork-tender. Drain and move to the side. Place butter into a stock pan or dutch oven and add green onion and garlic. When fragrant, add in flour and make sure everything is fully covered. Begin adding chicken stock until the mixture becomes creamy. Add in mushrooms. When they’ve reduced to half their size, add in soup, parsley, lemon zest, and thyme. Continue to mix and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat to cool.

Cut out round circles from the pie dough, approximately four inches in diameter. Take a fork and gently press into the edges, leaving small indents around the edge. Mix an egg together and brush edges with it. Place one heaping spoon in the middle of the circle and then fold over edges to make one half moon. Take your fork and press onto the edges you’ve brought together to seal the pie. Poke four holes in the top to let the pie breathe in the oven. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. When the oven had preheated, pull pies out and brush the tops with egg. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until tops are brown and shiny.

The story:

Hi, my name is Justin, and I became a pie addict when my British fiancé starting pushing his culinary imperialism on me. Frankly, I wasn’t always a big fan of savory pies because my mom used to be a huge fan of those freezer section chicken pot pies, and I loathed them. I can’t stand a pea. Never have, never will. But when Andrew came along and introduced me to the idea of steak and ale pies and chicken curry pies, I was immediately converted. Really, I think it’s all in how you sell it—gravy, in a croissant.

The exciting part of a pie is how you make it your own, I think. Years after moving out and leaving home, I’ve realized that we were an umami family. We like flavors of the earth, which I think is in part because we ate so much game. Dad would kill deer and clean them out on the front porch, and there are all these photos of me flanked my dead geese and duck and rabbits. I remember that very earthy smell always being around, so it became part of my sensory palate.

When I was thinking about my own pies, I wanted that flavor profile in there: what is something that’s hearty and earthy and warm and comforting? I decided that potato and herb and mushroom had to be in the mix. I also believe in cooking my chicken my own way. I’m sorry, but if we’re going to kill an animal to include in a dish, I want to know that animal is shining through.

What results is a delicious treat that feels appropriately wintery, without the need to hose off your deck to get the deer blood off. (Just me? Ok.) Summertime is for seafood and veggies and fresh flavors, but the key to a good winter meal is something that feels like it warms you from the inside. The flavors remind me of dad coming in from a goose hunt, plucking that bad boy clean, and then mom cooking it that night with all kinds of aromatic-type sides and garnishes. Throw this on top of mashed potatoes (don’t come for me and my double taters) or next to a nice roasted vegetable, and you’re good to go. Stay warm, kids.