Post- Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

We’ve put this recipe here because, unlike the pot pies in the first chapter, this is a traditional pot pie with a bottom crust and a top crust, making it a double-­crusted pie. This pot pie uses the carcass of the holiday bird to make a rich turkey stock. Making stock is a very flexible process, so use common sense rather than precise measurements. Of course it’s fine to use store-­bought turkey stock, but homemade is so much better and takes less than 10 minutes of active time. It’s well worth the small effort, since the turkey is abundance itself and shouldn’t be wasted.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces/60 grams unsalted butter

• 1 medium onion, cut into medium dice

• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  Meat Pies: An Emerging American Craft Brian Polcyn and Michael Ruhlman

• Kosher salt to taste

• 2 carrots, cut into medium dice

• 2 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1⁄4-­inch/ 6-­millimeter pieces

• 6 tablespoons/45 grams all-­purpose flour

• 2 1⁄2  cups/600 milliliters Turkey Stock (recipe follows)

• 2 1⁄2  cups/450 grams shredded or diced cooked turkey

• 1⁄2  cup/75 grams fresh or frozen peas

• 1⁄4  cup/60 milliliters heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 1⁄2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1⁄2  pounds/680 grams 3-­2-­1 Pie Dough or 2 sheets store-­bought pie dough, thawed if frozen

• 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk

DIRECTIONS

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

2.      Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-­high heat. Add the onion and garlic, hit them with a four-­finger pinch of salt, and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook until they are heated and brightly colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and stir to cook the flour and ensure it’s well coated with butter. Add the stock, whisking to ensure the flour doesn’t clump. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add the turkey, peas, cream, fish sauce, and pepper and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat. Cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator after.

3.      Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half to line a 9-­inch/23-­centimeter pie plate (or use one sheet of store-­bought dough).

4.      Roll out the other piece of dough to your desired thinness for the top of the pie. Fill the pie shell with the turkey mixture. Cover it with the top piece of dough and pinch the edges around the rim to seal it. Brush the top with egg wash, then cut several steam holes.

5.      Bake until the filling is piping hot and the crust has browned, about 45 minutes. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Turkey Stock

Serves 6

Leftover roast turkey bones

1 onion, quartered

2 or 3 carrots, cut into 2 or 3 pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Flat-­leaf parsley sprigs (optional)

Thyme sprigs (optional)

Whole black peppercorns (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F/95°C.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a large stockpot, then fill the pot with water. Put the pot in the oven, uncovered, for 8 hours. (Alternatively, fill a large stockpot with the turkey bones, cover with water, and simmer very gently on the stovetop, uncovered, for 3 hours. Discard the bones, then add the remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.)

3. Strain into a large bowl or pot.

“Reprinted from Meat Pies: An Emerging American Craft by Brian Polcyn and Michael Ruhlman. Text copyright © 2024 by Brian Polcyn and Michael Ruhlman. Photos copyright © 2024 by Quentin Bacon. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.”

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