Recipe: Emeril's Turkey Pot Pie with Savory Pie Crust

EMERIL'S TURKEY POT PIE WITH SAVORY PIE CRUST

1 recipe Basic Savory Pie Crust (recipe follows)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups Chicken Stock or canned chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup peeled and diced Idaho potatoes, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes
1 cup leftover sweet potatoes
1 cup diced carrots, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes (OR any leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving)
1 cup sweet young peas, fresh or frozen (defrost if frozen)
2 cups shredded cooked turkey, white and dark meat
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Prepare the pie crust dough and refrigerate while preparing filling.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x9x2-inch baking pan.

Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes to make a blond roux.

Stir in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the half-and-half and continue to cook for another 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the potatoes, carrots, peas (or any other leftover Thanksgiving vegetables), turkey, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Line the baking pan with one of the rolled-out pie crusts. Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Place the second crust on top of the filling. Carefully tuck the overlapping crusts into the pan, forming a thick edge. Crimp the edges, cut vents in the top crust, and place on a baking sheet.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

BASIC SAVORY PIE CRUST
(Makes 2 pie crusts, enough for one 9-inch and one 10-inch crust)

3 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold lard or solid vegetable shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water, as needed

TO PREPARE THE DOUGH:
Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the lard and work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, working it in with your hands. Add only as much as you need to make a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. For 2 crusts, cut the dough in 2 equal pieces and put the second half back in the refrigerator.

For each crust, roll out the dough on the floured surface into a square about 14 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Gently fold the square of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold it into a square baking pan. Fill and proceed as directed in the recipe.

Source: Emeril's TV Dinners by Emeril Lagasse