I made some turkey pies...

[sumi]

... and they came out very nice!

I stopped eating chicken meat a few years ago (after I learned more than I wanted to know about large scale broiler farms). Before then I used to make chicken pies and I really, really miss those pies. So I started substituting with other meats. The closest I could find to chicken in taste and texture was crocodile, but that's not readily available, so I tried duck meat, which was simply heavenly, but poor value for money. Way too little meat and way too much bone on those birds.

So today I found and bought some turkey drumsticks. I boiled them up with some chicken stock cubes (sjjjjt ), deboned and shredded the meat, fried up some mushrooms in margarine, added mushroom soup powder and chicken noodle soup powder to the frying mushrooms, slowly added the stock until I got the right consistency and then added the meat. I boiled the mixture for about 20 minutes, before putting my pies together. From 4 lb meat I got enough filling for 3 medium (2 portions) and 6 small snack size pies. What we're not having dinner is going to the freezer for future dinners.

 

[Britesea]

ooh yum! I just got a cookbook that's all about handpies and I'm eager to start trying some. There's one recipe in it I've simply GOT TO TRY! Chicken Chile Relleno hand pies...

 

[sumi]

I just had one for dinner and it was delicious! I was a bit worried, because the meat is so different from chicken, but wow, it came out nice!

That Chicken Chile Relleno sounds interesting? Show me the recipe, please?

 

[Britesea]

I copied the recipe out of the kindle but to save space I didn't add the recipes for the crusts or the directions for fried pies...

Chicken Chile Relleno Pie from Oh my! Pocket Pies, a fried- pie truck in Houston, Texas

Makes twelve to sixteen 2- to 6-in/ 5- to 15-cm pies

There is now a San Francisco fan base for this pie. I tested and tweaked the recipe given to us by the folks at Oh my! Pocket Pies, producing multiple batches that I shared with friends. The response was amazing: these pies got the loudest cheers of any pie in this book. I heard about how many pies were scarfed at one sitting, and of wives hiding the pies from their husbands. My own marriage was tested when, in a new-baby fog, I put a tray of these pies in the oven, fell asleep on the couch, and burned a batch. Whoops. This mistake is invoked every time I put a pie in the oven. So keep your eyes on these pies! I encourage you to make extra: not only are they delicious, but the finished pies freeze beautifully. For an even greater treat, dip them into sour cream or pico de gallo. They can also be fried, following the directions.

2 tbsp canola oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb/ 455 g ground chicken

½ cup/ 85 g fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, do not thaw)

Salt

Freshly ground pepper, preferably white

2 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup/ 65 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tsp ancho chile powder or New Mexico chile powder

½ tsp sweet paprika

1/ 8 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp dried oregano

1 cup/ 240 ml water

2 or 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped

3 oz/ 85 g Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 recipe Flaky Butter Crust , Luscious Lard Crust , Sturdy Cream Cheese Crust , or Versatile Cornmeal Crust

1. In a large frying pan, warm 1 tbsp of the canola oil over medium heat. Add half of the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula and stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

2. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil. When it is hot, add the remaining onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt. Then add the flour and stir until it coats the onion evenly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the flour begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chile powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and gradually add the water, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a gravy, about 5 minutes. Pour the onion mixture into the chicken mixture and let cool for 10 minutes. Mix in the chiles, cheese, and lime juice, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Let cool completely. (The mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before continuing.)

3. Preheat the oven to 375 ° F/ 190 ° C/ gas 5. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Remove half of the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, place it on the floured work surface, and flour the top lightly. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is roughly 9 by 12 in/ 23 by 30.5 cm. The dough should be about 1/ 8 in/ 3 mm thick.

5. Using a plain or fluted pastry wheel, trim off the ragged edges. Then cut the dough into circles, squares, or rectangles, as small or as large as you like, saving the trimmings.

Read the directions in the Free-Form Pie Master Recipe on how to fold or cap the shape you have chosen, then, using 1 tbsp filling in each pie, fill and shape the pies, sealing the edges and crimping decoratively, if you like. (Or, you can fill and shape as directed for any of the pop tarts ). Slash or prick each pie to vent steam.

6. Transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 in/ 2.5 cm apart. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Repeat the rolling, cutting, filling, and crimping with the second counter. (This saves the surface from sticky drips!) Bake the pastries until they are golden brown on top (the sides will brown first), about 20 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and immediately (and carefully) move the pastries onto the baking rack, then slip the second baking sheet into the oven. Let the pastries cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, but be sure to enjoy them warm. Eat or freeze these pies the day they are made. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 375 ° F/ 190 ° C/ gas 5 oven for about 12 minutes.



Billingsley, Sarah; Wharton, Rachel (2011-11-18). Handheld Pies: Dozens of Pint-Size Sweets and Savories (Kindle Locations 781-786). Chronicle Books LLC. Kindle Edition.

 

[sumi]

That sounds yummy! I am not going to be able to get the exact ingredients here, but I suppose I could substitute some of them for a local variety?

 

[Britesea]

I think if you know something about the ingredients you have to sub (like how hot the chilies are or something) you can usually figure out a good substitution

 

[sumi]

I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes. After I found some "O.K." chicken meat!