Anonymous wrote:What is blind bake

Blind bake is where you -partially- bake an empty pie shell so that the shell is fully baked after you have filled it and baked with the filling. Usually when you blind bake you will want to use weights (pie weights, uncooked beans, uncooked rice, etc) to fill the shell so that the sides of the shell don't cave and the bottom of the pie doesn't bubble up.

To use the weights, take a sheet of aluminum foil (or two) wide enough to cover sides and center, butter it (so that it doesn't adhere to the shell as it blind bakes), lay it in the pie shell and conform it to the pie shell, including the sides, and then fill with the weights. Blind bake as instructed in the recipe. Remove from oven, lift out the aluminum foil with the weights.

I have actual weights so I save them and I throw away the aluminum foil. If you're using beans or rice then just throw them away. I bought weights because I bake a lot of pies so it was more economical for me to own weights. If you don't bake a lot of pies then you might as well just use up rice or beans, which are cheap.

Here is an ATK on blind bake: an article https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5766-the-key-to-blind-baking-use-the-right-lining and a video https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=atk+blind+bake+video&docid=608031145733326178&mid=0436F389CAD8E7C88E6F0436F389CAD8E7C88E6F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

I didn't think milk goes in roux? Flour and fat, yes. I guess because you are using butter? Use animal fat instead, or some non dairy fat.

What is blind bake

Anonymous wrote:this makes me want chicken pot pie. Can someone share their fav recipes? I often roast a whole chicken and always make chicken salad with the leftovers. I'd love to switch it up and make a pot pie! My neighbor make turkey pot pie with thanksgiving leftovers that is sooo good.

Very easy & you don’t really need a recipe (if you have or know how to make a pie crust).

Blind bake a pie crust shell.
Sauté a chopped onion and a couple of diced cloves of garlic in a couple of tablespoons of butter (or other oil if you’re avoiding dairy) until transparent.
Sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of flour. Stir rapidly a few minutes until the flour cooks a bit.
Add a couple of cups of chicken stock & stir until creamy. Add more stock if it’s too thick.
Add whatever veggies you like (potatoes, corn, green peas, carrots, etc)(if I’m in a hurry I use frozen peas & carrots, frozen corn, & diced hash browns)
Add cooked, diced chicken or turkey
Add herbs & salt & pepper (I use about a teaspoon of thyme & a little bit of herbs de provence, 2 bay leaves, plus some Tony Cachere’s)
Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves
Put the filling in the baked shell & cover with pie crust. Crimp the edges & bake under a broiler until the top crust is brown.

I have never made roux with milk.

Save yourself some trouble and stink. You can buy ready made roux. NOT made with milk. One jar lasts a while.

Online at Target.

Roux is not made with milk. Roux is usually made with fat, often butter beucase it is easiest. Butter hardly contains any lactose at all. But by all means use another fat, but if you are making roux with milk, you are doing it wrong and I'd be curious what your results have been so far.

I made it the other day with olive oil and four. I diced the celery and carrots very small and sautéed them in the oil for awhile until very soft, then added some whole wheat flour. It was delicious.