Old Salem Moravian Chicken Pie Recipe
This traditional double crusted pie is made with flaky shortcrust pastry that's filled with only chunks of poached chicken meat and a thick broth-based sauce. It may seem simple, but the flavor is quintessentially Winston-Salem.
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream (chilled)
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
Pie Ingredients
- 2 bone-in split chicken breasts (10–12 oz each, trimmed and halved crosswise)
- 3 bone-in chicken thighs (5–7 oz each, trimmed)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flout
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten for egg wash)
Instructions
- Make the crust: Stir sour cream and egg. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor; add butter until pea-sized. Add sour cream mixture in two parts, pulsing until dough forms.
- Chill & roll: Divide dough into two disks, wrap, and chill 1 hour. Roll one into pie plate, second onto baking sheet. Chill 30 minutes.
- Cook chicken: Season and brown in oil. Simmer with broth and bay leaf until cooked (14–18 min). Shred meat; strain broth.
- Make gravy: Melt butter with reserved fat. Whisk in flour, then broth and half-and-half. Simmer until thickened. Season to taste. Mix 1 cup gravy with chicken.
- Assemble pie: Fill crust with chicken mixture, top with second crust, seal, cut slits, and brush with egg.
- Bake: 450°F for 18–20 min, then 375°F for 10–15 min, until golden. Cool 45 min.
- Serve: Warm remaining gravy with extra broth; serve alongside slices.
Notes
- If you get less than 2 tablespoons of fat from browning the chicken, supplement it with butter.
- The pie may seem loose when it comes out of the oven; it will set up as it cools.