turkey pot pies

Last post, I posted a family recipe for a hearty turkey and barley soup made with leftover roast turkey. This recipe also makes use of leftover roast turkey but in this case, the transformation turns the leftovers into delicious, individual portions of turkey and vegetable pot pies. These are very similar to the classic chicken pot pies and are comfort food at its best; you will actually want to have leftover turkey!

Turkey and Vegetable Pie Filling

• 400 g left over turkey*, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups turkey stock* (see recipe here)
• 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 small turnip, peeled and diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 2-3 tbsp organic corn starch

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.
2. Add the carrot and potato and return to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes (over high heat and boiling). Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and place in a large bowl.
3. Add the peas and turnip and return to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes (over high heat and boiling). Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and add to the bowl.
4. Place bowl in the fridge and allow to cool.
5. Ensure that you still have 1 cup of stock in the saucepan. If not add additional stock if you have or water to have 1 cup liquid in the saucepan.
6. Mix together 2 tbsp of corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water until homogeneous. In a skillet or frying pan, melt butter and add onion. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Mix in the remaining liquid and bring to a boil. Add the corn starch mixture. Lower the heat and allow to simmer, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken. If not sufficiently thick, you can mix the additional tbsp of corn starch with 2 tbsp of cold water and add to the onion mixture and  cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Allow to cool in the fridge.
7.  When both are sufficiently cooled, combine the vegetables and the onion mixture and keep in fridge until ready to use. Start making the pastry.

Pastry (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

• 113 g (1/2 cup) cold butter, cubed
• 170 g (1 1/4 cup) white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 66 g (1/4 cup) yogurt
• 1/4 cup ice cold water

1. Mix flour and salt.
2. Using your finger tips, blend in butter until you get a coarse, crumbly texture.
3. Stir in yogurt.
4. Start by adding 3 tbsp of ice cold water and mix to form a dough. Add more water, a tsp at a time, only as required to get a soft dough. Place, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Assembling

(yields 4 individual sized pies, 3.5 inches diameter, 1.5 inches deep each)

1. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. (The easiest way is to weigh the total amount, divide the weight by 4 and then make 4 portions, each weighing that amount. For me, the total weight was 375 g so I made 4 portions each weighing 94 g)
2. Take each portion and divide into 2 parts, one that is 1/3 the weight and the other that is 2/3 the weight. (For me, each portion weighed 94 g, so I divided this into a portion weighing 31 g and another weighing 62 g) The larger portion will be the base of the pie, while the smaller portion will be the top crust.
3. Form balls with the portioned out dough, roll each ball out into a circle. The bottoms should be about 7 inches in diameter and the tops should be 3.5 inches in diameter (the size of the ramekins).
4. Place the bottom pastry into the ramekin and let the edges hang out along the sides. Add filling, place the top pastry on top and fold the overhanging pastry on top.
5. Cover the top of the pie with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil. Continue baking until the tops are nicely browned and the temperature of the pies is at 180°F.

*We always opt for using an organic turkey.