So, springtime and the first real weekend sunny weekend of the Spring and I decided to go for a picnic. But instead of making a sandwich, I decided to go with these hand pies and a bunch of salads. I really like hand pies, as they are an “enclosed” sandwich of sort. Or a mini-pot pie without a serving dish. Either way, delicious.
Ingredients
for the pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/4 cup) butter cold, cut into cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
for the filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, chopped to 1/4 inch dice
1/3 cup chopped carrot (1 carrot), chopped to 1/4 inch dice
1/3 cup chopped zucchini (1 small), chopped to 1/4 inch dice
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chicken low sodium broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons of the chicken stock while cold or at room temperature, to make a slurry
1 1/2 cups prepared rotisserie chicken, cut to 1/4 inch pieces
1 large egg, for egg wash
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse until only pea sized lumps remain in your mixture. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Add the mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and pulse until moisture is introduced to all of the flour mixture. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and knead the dough until it starts to hold together. Divide the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
To make the filling, melt the butter in a medium-sized hot skillet and add the onion, bell pepper and carrot. Sauté over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in the chopped zucchini and sauté for another 3 -5 minutes. Veggies should be soft and slightly browned. Clear a space in the center of the pan and add the garlic and the tomato paste. Stir until just fragrant (about 30 seconds) before mixing everything together. Add the chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Add the corn starch slurry and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 heaping cup shredded chicken and the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to season. Cool the filling to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with silpat or baking powder.
To form the pocket pies, work with half of a disk of dough at a time, rolling it out on a floured surface. Using a 4-5 inch round (either a large biscuit cutter or the edge of an overturned bowl or plate), cut out circles about 3 at a time from each piece of dough. After cutting out all your circles, gather all dough scraps, reroll, and cut out a final time. Place 1/4 cup filling on one side of a dough circle. Wet the edges of the dough with the water. Fold the dough over to form a half circle. Pinch the edge of the dough together. Crimp the edge with a fork. Repeat the process until all the filling is used. The pocket pies can be frozen at this point.
Place the pocket pies on the prepared baking sheet. Prick each pie on top twice with a fork. When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over each pocket pie. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The pies can be served warm or at room temperature.
