Growing up, my mom’s curried chicken was always my favorite meal. This was special because it would take about 2 hours to cook. She would use a cleaver to cut the chicken legs in half, season them with Jamaican curry powder, brown them, then stew them down with potatoes, and sometimes a scotch bonnet pepper (which she was careful to take out before it exploded like lava throughout the stew).
There would be at least 7 people at the table. After saying grace, we would drizzle the chicken, potatoes and delectable gravy over our rice. I can still taste the deep flavor. That – eat the meat, chew the bones – kind of flavor that sticks to your ribs and leaves you wanting more.
And who said you can’t have all that goodness in a pie?
On the last blog, we shared about the surprise birthday tea for Javonni where we served little curried chicken pot pies. If you prefer, you can create this recipe with this mini pie-maker.
Now let’s make this recipe!
Curry Chicken Pot Pie
Bold, warm and savory, this pie brings in all the flavors from my mom's Jamaican curried chicken stew. We use our basic crust recipe with an added hint of coconut flavor. What's not to love?
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 mini pie maker optional. If you want to make this as individual hand pies, roll out the crust and cut it using the cutters provided.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp Jamaican style curry powder can be purchased in some grocery stores or Caribbean market
- ¼ tsp ground all spice jamaican’s call it pimento seed
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 medium sized-potatoes cut into about ¼ inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil or other oil for browning the chicken
For the Rue
- 1/3 cup butter
- ½ onion diced
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme I like to pull the leaves off the stem
- 2 carrots cut into ¼ inch cubes (note if your carrots are very large you may need only 1 or 1.5)
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 and ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup milk can use non-dairy options
- ½ cup frozen sweet peas
For the Crust
- 1 basic crust recipe https://tarts-crafts.com/basic-pie-crust-recipe/
- 3 tbsp coconut oil chilled so it's pretty solid
Instructions
Let's start by preparing the filling (so it's cool when it's time to put it in the crust).
- Toss the cubed chicken in the curry powder and the teaspoon of salt. Set aside to soak up the flavors while you prep the veggies. When all is chopped,
- Heat up a saucepan to medium heat and add a tbsp of olive oil. When the pan is hot, toss in the chicken to sear. Once it is browned add the all spice, onion powder, garlic powder. Toss in the potatoes and cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are somewhat softened (stick a fork through one – if it falls apart that’s too far, but if gives with a small about of pressure, you’re just right). If the mixture gets too dry, add a few tablespoons of water.
- Remove the chicken and potatoes from the pan and place them in a bowl while you cook the veggies and make the rue.
Prepare the Rue
- Melt the butter in the pan on medium to high heat. Add onions and carrots and cook them until the carrots are somewhat softened (about 5 minutes). Toss in the remaining garlic and mix.
- Add the 1/3 cup flour and toss to coat the veggies.
- Add the broth and milk and turn the heat to medium. Allow to cook while stirring until the rue gets thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the pan to a cool surface.
- Add back in the chicken, potato mixture and fresh or frozen peas (note that these cook quickly and will cook in the oven later). Toss to mix evenly. Your mixture should be a deep yellow color and very thick. If the mixture has a lot of liquid, add another 2 tbsp of flour.
Make the crust and bake!
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Follow the directions for the basic crust recipe, except add 3 tablespoons of cool coconut oil (pop it in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand) to the crust before you divide in half to make the top and bottom crust. Chill the 2 crusts in the freezer for 10 minutes or so while you get out a baking sheet, line the pan with foil and set your pie dish on the foil-lined pan.
- Roll out the bottom crust and trim. You can use an egg wash on the bottom crust to help prevent it from becoming soggy. Throw it in the fridge while you roll out the top crust. Once the top crust is rolled out, add your prepared (and hopefully cooled) filling. Spread the top crust it over the filling and crimp the edges. Add egg wash, and cut some vents in the top crust. !
- Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until the crust starts to brown. Then turn it down to 375 degrees and check on it after 30 minutes. If you can see the filling bubbling (through the slits) and the top crust is a browned, you’re done. If it’s still not bubbling, add 10 minutes and check again.
- Allow to rest and cool for at least 30 minutes to set up the filling.
Notes
Below is a video of how I pull the leaves off the thyme… all the fresh herbaceous flavor without the stems! Unless of course you like choking on a sharp little sticks while enjoying your pie!