TO MAKE THE FILLING: Bring chicken stock to boil in a pot with a steamer insert. If using raw chicken for filling, add it to stock now to cook (precooked chicken will be added to filling later along with frozen peas when assembling pie). Lower heat and steam potatoes over simmering stock, covered, until just cooked, but still very firm. Do not overcook, or potatoes will fall apart in the pot pie. Remove potatoes and set aside in a medium bowl. Next add carrots to the steamer, and steam until just cooked. Remove and add to potatoes. When chicken is completely cooked, remove it from stock and add to bowl with vegetables; cover and refrigerate. Reserve chicken stock in the pot to make gravy.
TO MAKE THE GRAVY: Add all herbs and spices to chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
In a heavy 1½ quart or larger pot, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in Cassava Flour and stir constantly until flour is dark brown, about 10 minutes. Vigorously whisk in about one cup of hot stock to form a thick paste, then whisk in the rest of stock. Simmer on low, stirring from time to time, until gravy is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and refrigerate until cold.
TO MAKE THE PIE CRUST: Whisk Cassava Flour and salt together in a medium bowl, then use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut butter into flour until a coarse meal forms. Alternatively, this can be done in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment.
Add apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon cold water to flour mixture, gently tossing to distribute it evenly. Slowly add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, lightly stirring, until dough holds together in a ball.
Place dough between two lightly floured pieces of parchment paper, and press it into a disk about 1 inch thick. Roll dough out 1/8 to ¼ inch thick. Cut out four 6-inch circles, gathering and re-rolling scraps as needed. Keep well covered after cutting, and chill until ready to assemble.
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE POT PIES: Remove cold potato mixture from refrigerator. Add frozen peas and cooked chicken, if using. Stir in 1 cup of cold gravy and mix well. Fill individual ovenproof bowls or ramekins evenly with filling, leaving ½ inch of space at the top. Do not overfill, or gravy might boil out of the bowls while cooking. If filling seems too dry, you can add a little gravy on top and let it settle in. Reserve any extra gravy for another use.
Top each bowl with chilled crust; try to keep the pastry taut across the top of the bowl, not draped onto the filling. Fold edges of crust under and use tines of fork to crimp dough onto edge of bowl. Refrigerate assembled pies for 20 to 30 minutes, to chill and stiffen dough. While pies are chilling, preheat oven to 375° with rack in center of oven.
Remove cold pies from refrigerator. Gently cut two small holes in the top of each pie to let steam escape. Cover pies tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and gravy is starting to bubble out the holes.
Cool at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Eat while fresh and warm for best tasting crust.
NOTE: It is important that the filling and gravy are cold when pies are assembled to keep pie crust from getting too soft and slumping down on filling before baking.
To make dough ahead of time for later use, simply wrap it tightly with plastic wrap after forming 1-inch-thick disk, and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before rolling it out. Alternatively, the dough can be rolled to full size circles, kept between the parchment paper as such, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.
© Pamela's Products, Inc.
