Turkey Pie In The Sky

Oh hey, it's Turkey-Pie day. Turkey Pie is one of my all-time favorites. It is not a simple thing to make, but even with its many steps, it is still a worthwhile dish to make occasionally. In the fridge I had thawed a small, bone-in turkey breast, so this morning I threw it into the oven after I seasoned it well with Old Bay. Old Bay usually just kind of sits in my cupboard, waiting to be sprinkled on shrimp, but I like it, so lately I have been using it. The turkey breast cooked just a little too much as I was out walking the dogs, but I like my poultry well done anyway and the gravy in the pie will accommodate slightly overcooked bird. Plus that gave me the opportunity to eat a bit of good and crispy skin.

I wanted to make some turkey broth also, so after I picked the meat from the carcase, I threw the carcase into a pan and nearly covered it with water. A little Salt and Pepper, and that is all. The broth became quite tasty, and after the turkey remains cooled, the dogs enjoyed a special treat. I made a roux from the pan drippings and a bit of cornstarch, to which I added my broth after allowing the roux to cook some. I did not have enough turkey broth, so I also added about half a quart of chicken broth so I would have some gravy for the pie just in case I messed up and dried it out.

But before all of this happened, I had to prep the vegetables that would compose most of the filling. I sauted in a fair amount of olive oil half of an onion, a few stalks of celery, several carrots, and two yellow peppers. Also in the pan was a bag of tiny potatoes that I found on the bargain produce rack at HT for a buck, a couple diced cloves of garlic and a mound of dried basil. I covered it and let it cook until the potatoes were somewhat tender. They would finish in the oven, of course.

By now, I have my vegetables, my gravy, and my turkey in the pie pan, and it's time to make the crust. The first couple times I made Turkey Pie, I crusted the bottom of the pan as well as the top, but it seemed to make everything too dry. Also, it's quite a savings on calories with only one layer of crust, and a flaky crust it is. A couple cups of flour, a bit of salt, a small amount of ice water, and about half a cup of vegetable shortening go into making this crust. After mixing, I rolled out the crust and covered my pie filling. Into the oven it went for about an hour. The pies did not turn out as handsomely as I wanted them to, due to a little gravy leak, but they still tasted good. I ate a sample bite or two (quality check, I call it), but that is the cook's prerogative, like The Little Red Hen. Now my turkey pies are done, so I'm getting ready to eat and watch the basketball games. How bout them Eers.