OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN POT PIE

I adapted this recipe from one I found a while ago. It came from the Chicago Culinary Institute, circa 1956.

1/2 lb. mushrooms (sliced)
1/3 cp butter
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cp flour
1 t salt
1/2 t monosodium glutamate
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cp cream
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cp boiling water
1 simmered chicken, cooled & deboned (see previous recipe)
3/4 cp frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 cp diced carrots
1/4 cp canned pimiento, cut into strips

In a small sauce pan, cover carrots with water, and simmer until soft. Add corn, cook about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Dice the chicken. Set side.

In a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter. Add the mushrooms and green peppers, saute until soft. Remove the peppers and mushrooms with slotted spoon, allowing the butter to drip back into the pan.

Stir flour, salt, msg, and pepper into the butter. Cook about five minutes, or until mixture begins to take on the color of peanut butter. Remove from heat, whisk in cream.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in 1 1/2 cp boiling water. Stirring constantly, gradually add to flour/cream mixture. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in chicken, mushrooms, vegetables, and pimento.

At this point you can either:

Divide mixture into six cassolettes, top with your favorite pie crust, and bake at 425 until crust is golden brown, or (and this is my favorite way):

Prepare either Jiffy or Bisquick Drop Biscuits as per package directions. Pour chicken mixture into a 3 qt casserole and drop biscuit dough by tablespoon onto top of mixture. Bake at 375 until biscuits are golden brown.

SIMMERED CHICKEN

Simmering chicken is the perfect way to cook chicken for use on sandwiches, in chicken salad, or anytime you need cooked chicken for a recipe. The breast stays wonderfully moist and flavorful when prepared this way.

You'll need:
One large stockpot with tight fitting, heavy lid.
One large (about 4lb) fryer

Fill the stockpot with enough water to completely cover the chicken. Bring water to a full rolling boil. Holding chicken by the ends of the drumsticks, plunge it into the water. Count to 20 (one mississippi, two mississippi). Pull bird out of water. Wait until water resumes full boil. Plunge chicken back into water, put lid on the pot, and reduce heat as low as you can without the flame going out. Cook for one hour. DO NOT PEEK! Remove from pot, drain and cool. Pull meat from the bones and you have the perfect chicken for sandwiches or salads.

note: Meat around the bones may have a red tinge. This is not blood, nor does it mean the bird isn't cooked enough. The simmering process may leach a bit of color out of the bone. It is harmless.