Chick’n Pot Pie // S1E14 Gender Bender
“The Addams Family finds religion.”
This episode asks the pressing question, what if the Amish are actually aliens? Though “Gender Bender” is set in Massachusetts, we both felt it invoked Amish country in Pennsylvania. And so we’ve decided to make this vegetarian Chick’n Pot Pie, based on a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe made by Reegan’s Grandma. Every year for her birthday, Reegan’s Grandma would cook her favorite meal, and Reegan always chose chicken pot pie. Since becoming a vegetarian, Reegan has missed this nostalgic dish, and has been trying to perfect a meatless version. Though it’s not entirely clear why it’s called a “pie”, this dish is made of warmth, delicious chewy noodles, and slow simmered vegetables. It is epitome of comfort food from Reegan’s childhood.
Honestly, Amish alien jokes aside, we don’t have much to say about “Gender Bender”. The premise is that Mulder and Scully investigate a crime related to the Kindred, a religious sect that might be immortal (or at least, very long-lived) extraterrestrials that can regenerate and gender-swap. And something about pheromones. And Scully gets pheromone-d by one of them, which makes Mulder unreasonably irritated with her and the episode frames as being ‘her fault’. The storyline is a little weirdly puritanical and also vaguely transphobic. And while the agents solve the murder at the center of the plot, the Kindred all vanish before the agents can do anything. It ends with a dramatic shot of Mulder and Scully walking around a small and underwhelming crop circle.
Final thoughts: When Mulder opens the barn door that should reveal everything, and instead finds a slab of concrete, it really looks like Han Solo should be encased therein. And, as a bonus, Nicholas Lea, the actor who will later play Krycek, shows up! But, he’s not Krycek yet…or is he?
The Recipe File |
While it’s called a pie, this “pie” doesn’t have a crust, but instead features chewy homemade egg noodles. You’ll want to make the noodles first. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center and add eggs and water. Mix together. With floured hands, lightly knead the dough just until everything is well incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to 1/8” thickness. Depending on the area of your work surface, you may need to work in batches. Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough into wide square-ish noodles, about 2″ on each side.
Cover, and let the noodles rest while you make the pot pie filling.
Dice the onion, carrots and celery. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add the flour to make a roux. Stir until the vegetables are coated, and then add the coconut and vegetable broth (we like to use Edward & Sons Not-Chick’n, but any vegetable broth will work). Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
While the vegetables cook, rehydrate the tofu skins, if using. Place tofu skins in a bowl, add the baking powder and enough hot water to cover the tofu skins. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain. We liked the texture that the tofu skins brought to the dish, but if you aren’t using tofu skins, you can use use firm tofu instead. Just crumble or dice the tofu and then add it to the pot.
Meanwhile, remove the lid from the pot and bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the noodles one at a time to the boiling broth. Add the tofu skins.
Reduce heat, cover, and cook for at least 20 minutes, until the noodles are tender and chewy. Check and stir the pot pie occasionally. You can add more water, broth or coconut milk if the noodles aren’t completely covered by the broth or the broth becomes too thick. Taste, then season well with salt and pepper. This vegetarian Chick’n Pot Pie will keep for 3-5 days, and reheats well.
Chick’n Pot Pie Recipe
Chick’n Pot Pie
Equipment
- pasta cutter
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the egg noodles
- 2 C flour
- 1/2 C water
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the pie filling
- 2 onions
- 6 carrots
- 4 celery stalks
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 C flour
- 6 C vegetable broth we used Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n
- 1/3 C coconut milk
- 8 oz tofu skins (dried beancurd sticks) or extra firm tofu
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the egg noodles
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center and add eggs and water. Mix together.
- With floured hands, lightly knead the dough just until everything is well incorporated.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to 1/8'' thickness. Depending on the area of your work surface, you may need to work in batches.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough into wide noodles.
- Cover, and let noodles rest while you make the pot pie filling.
Make the pot pie
- Dice the onion, carrots and celery.
- Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the flour to make a roux. Stir until the vegetables are coated, and then add the vegetable broth and coconut milk.
- Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the vegetables cook, rehydrate the tofu skins, if using. Place tofu skins in a bowl, add the baking powder and enough hot water to cover the skins. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain. If using tofu instead, just dice up the tofu.
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the noodles one at a time to the boiling broth. Add the tofu skins.
- Reduce heat, cover, and cook for at least 20 minutes, until the noodles are tender and chewy.
- Check and stir the pot pie occasionally. If the noodles aren't completely covered by the broth, or the broth becomes too thick, add more water, broth or coconut milk.
- Taste, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot. This keeps for up to 3 days and reheats well.
