What the EFF is a "pie bird"?!?!
So yesterday I decided I was going to make another selection from my Gordon Ramsay "Cooking for Friends" book, and my daughter in law picked out a chicken pie. I read through the ingredients and decided we'd found a winner, it sounded simple enough and very tasty. I picked up the book and started reading the directions to kind of get an idea of how long this pie was going to take me, and this is when I see, if you use a "pie bird"... I said (out loud mind you) What the hell is a pie bird? First recipe back into my blog, and what do I need to do? Yep... Google (praise the heavens for Google)
Apparently this is a "pie bird"
This is a quote from a Wikki article
A pie bird, pie vent, pie whistle, pie funnel,or pie chimney is a hollow ceramic device, originating in Europe, shaped like a funnel, chimney, or upstretched bird with open beak. Funnel-style steam vents have been placed in the center of fruit and meat pies during cooking since Victorian times; the bird shapes came a little later.
Pie funnels were used to prevent pie filling from boiling up and leaking through the crust by allowing steam to escape from inside the pie. They also supported the pastry crust in the center of the pie, so that it did not sag in the middle, and are occasionally known as "crustholders". Older ovens had more problems with uniform heating, and the pie bird prevented boilover in pie cooking.
Now that I know what a pie bird is, and knowing there is no way I'm going to go out and get one just for one use, I decided to just go with my standard way of doing pies which is to cut steam holes in them. That's what I did.
Okay time to start. One thing I've been doing lately when I've been cooking is to gather all my ingredients and have them ready rather than trying to measure and chop as I go, it does create a few more dishes but I am not near as stressed... My family will tell you that is a big fat lie because there are still plenty of F bombs that fly around my kitchen, mostly due to things out of my control, but I'll get to that later.
I started doing my measuring and pouring as I'm reading "1/3 cup of flour" Get the canister out, and yep first "F" bomb, I have no flour!!!!! Why is it so hard that when someone uses the last of something that they can't say "Hey I just took the last of blah blah blah" No, that would be easy, and we just don't do easy in our house. Hubby to the rescue 10 minutes later, I have flour and we're back in business (thank you honey xx)
I kid you not, this is all that went into this dish....
I am not gonna lie this recipe was a bit time consuming, but only in the sense that I didn't want to stay in the kitchen because I was watching a TV show I am hooked on.
So I got the chicken all poached up and pulled it out and set it aside for cooling while I cooked the veggies for the pie. Strained them out and set aside the broth and got ready to make the roux. Who doesn't love a good roux? Melt the butter.... add the flour and grab the.... WHERE IS MY FLIPPING WHISK???????? GRRRRR second "F" bomb of the night. Why is it that my tools are constantly missing??? Seriously? There isn't a single time that I go into that damn kitchen to prepare a meal, and I'm not missing one or another of my vital tools, and it isn't like I move their resting places either, they always go in the same spots. I'm convinced there is an anti Gordon Ramsay gremlin in my kitchen, and when I catch that little mother fluffer, I'm going to wring its little neck! Again hubby to the rescue he comes in and we're both looking high and low, we never did find the darn whisk but he pulled a little one out of my hand mixer box that served as a suitable replacement. Again... thank you honey.
So the filling was now cooked and simmered down and omgosh, I have to tell you readers how could so few simple ingredients taste sooooo good? It was the most delicious sauce and I didn't think it was possible to find a new ultimate comfort food but that is exactly what I've found. This pie will be no stranger in our house. Now what I really liked about this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients, huge taste, little parts. To be honest, I didn't even use the salt that you see in the picture, because it simply wasn't needed.
The next step while the filling was cooling is to roll out the pie crust. Now for those of you who are going to want to know about how well I roll out a pie crust, please think again. I don't do pie crust.... period. I swear enough in the kitchen without having added stress that I just know will frustrate me. I cheated and used the pre rolled crusts that you find in the dairy case. I know they may not be as fluffy and flaky and as good as if I had bothered to try to make a pie crust? However I've seen seasoned bakers hurl pie dough across a kitchen and I know my limits! So I rolled out the crust, poured in the filling and placed the cover on. Now I did go out of my way to make pretty little leaves so that it gave the appearance that i"m not too lazy to make pie crust..... So a little egg wash and we're in business!
Pretty isn't it?
Bake for 35 minutes, rest for 10... stuff face.
The lighting on this isn't the greatest, but you get the idea.
Okay so that was that. Deep dish Chicken pie!
My one hindsight on this dish is that should have egg washed the sides of the crust better. Next time....
What I learned: Good food doesn't have to be difficult. I have to find the gremlin and choke him. And that I have an amazing husband.
The challenge continues....
Apparently this is a "pie bird"
This is a quote from a Wikki article
A pie bird, pie vent, pie whistle, pie funnel,or pie chimney is a hollow ceramic device, originating in Europe, shaped like a funnel, chimney, or upstretched bird with open beak. Funnel-style steam vents have been placed in the center of fruit and meat pies during cooking since Victorian times; the bird shapes came a little later.
Pie funnels were used to prevent pie filling from boiling up and leaking through the crust by allowing steam to escape from inside the pie. They also supported the pastry crust in the center of the pie, so that it did not sag in the middle, and are occasionally known as "crustholders". Older ovens had more problems with uniform heating, and the pie bird prevented boilover in pie cooking.
Now that I know what a pie bird is, and knowing there is no way I'm going to go out and get one just for one use, I decided to just go with my standard way of doing pies which is to cut steam holes in them. That's what I did.
Okay time to start. One thing I've been doing lately when I've been cooking is to gather all my ingredients and have them ready rather than trying to measure and chop as I go, it does create a few more dishes but I am not near as stressed... My family will tell you that is a big fat lie because there are still plenty of F bombs that fly around my kitchen, mostly due to things out of my control, but I'll get to that later.
I started doing my measuring and pouring as I'm reading "1/3 cup of flour" Get the canister out, and yep first "F" bomb, I have no flour!!!!! Why is it so hard that when someone uses the last of something that they can't say "Hey I just took the last of blah blah blah" No, that would be easy, and we just don't do easy in our house. Hubby to the rescue 10 minutes later, I have flour and we're back in business (thank you honey xx)
I kid you not, this is all that went into this dish....
I am not gonna lie this recipe was a bit time consuming, but only in the sense that I didn't want to stay in the kitchen because I was watching a TV show I am hooked on.
So I got the chicken all poached up and pulled it out and set it aside for cooling while I cooked the veggies for the pie. Strained them out and set aside the broth and got ready to make the roux. Who doesn't love a good roux? Melt the butter.... add the flour and grab the.... WHERE IS MY FLIPPING WHISK???????? GRRRRR second "F" bomb of the night. Why is it that my tools are constantly missing??? Seriously? There isn't a single time that I go into that damn kitchen to prepare a meal, and I'm not missing one or another of my vital tools, and it isn't like I move their resting places either, they always go in the same spots. I'm convinced there is an anti Gordon Ramsay gremlin in my kitchen, and when I catch that little mother fluffer, I'm going to wring its little neck! Again hubby to the rescue he comes in and we're both looking high and low, we never did find the darn whisk but he pulled a little one out of my hand mixer box that served as a suitable replacement. Again... thank you honey.
So the filling was now cooked and simmered down and omgosh, I have to tell you readers how could so few simple ingredients taste sooooo good? It was the most delicious sauce and I didn't think it was possible to find a new ultimate comfort food but that is exactly what I've found. This pie will be no stranger in our house. Now what I really liked about this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients, huge taste, little parts. To be honest, I didn't even use the salt that you see in the picture, because it simply wasn't needed.
The next step while the filling was cooling is to roll out the pie crust. Now for those of you who are going to want to know about how well I roll out a pie crust, please think again. I don't do pie crust.... period. I swear enough in the kitchen without having added stress that I just know will frustrate me. I cheated and used the pre rolled crusts that you find in the dairy case. I know they may not be as fluffy and flaky and as good as if I had bothered to try to make a pie crust? However I've seen seasoned bakers hurl pie dough across a kitchen and I know my limits! So I rolled out the crust, poured in the filling and placed the cover on. Now I did go out of my way to make pretty little leaves so that it gave the appearance that i"m not too lazy to make pie crust..... So a little egg wash and we're in business!
Pretty isn't it?
Bake for 35 minutes, rest for 10... stuff face.
The lighting on this isn't the greatest, but you get the idea.
Okay so that was that. Deep dish Chicken pie!
My one hindsight on this dish is that should have egg washed the sides of the crust better. Next time....
What I learned: Good food doesn't have to be difficult. I have to find the gremlin and choke him. And that I have an amazing husband.
The challenge continues....