Now that winter is over, and April has finally arrived, I find that I crave both comfort foods and spring vegetables. I think that I’ve found the perfect hundred-year-old recipe: Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips.
The Chicken Pie had an old-fashioned goodness, and the asparagus tips made a lovely garnish.
Here’s the original recipe:
The recipe does not specify whether green asparagus or white asparagus should be used, but the picture in the old magazine looks like the recipe author used white asparagus. I seldom see white asparagus at the store (and when I do it is very expensive), so I used green asparagus. I actually think that green asparagus looks better than white when used in this dish.
I think that “rich milk” refers to light cream, so I used half and half, though milk would work fine in this recipe. I added mushrooms, carrots, and peas.
Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips
1/4 cup butter + 1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half (or use milk)
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 4-ounce can mushrooms, stems and pieces (drained)
1/2 cup sliced carrots, cooked
1/2 cup green peas (I used frozen peas.)
asparagus tips to garnish (I used the tips from approximately 1/3 pound of asparagus.)
http://www.ahundredyearsago.com
Preheat oven to 425◦ F. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour, paprika, and salt. Gradually, add the chicken broth and half and half while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce from the pan, set aside. Stir the cooked chicken, mushrooms, carrots, and peas; continue heating until hot and bubbly. Put the mixture into a baking dish, then pour the reserved sauce over the mixture. Spoon the 1 tablespoon of melted butter on top. Put in oven and bake until it is just beginning to brown (about 15- 20 minutes).
In the meantime, cook the asparagus tips. (I lightly steamed them.)
Remove the Chicken Pie from the oven and garnish with the asparagus tips.
The asparagus in the 100 years ago picture is very large appearing. I agree, it does look like white asparagus.
I thought they looked huge, too!
Stalks of green asparagus today (especially when it’s out of season) are often very thin. That said, the stalks of asparagus in the old picture look extremely thick.
I’m glad you added the peas and carrots! Using some of the sauce as a glaze is interesting.
Adding the vegetables definitely makes this dish more interesting.
Very pretty and just a step away from a pot pie…
It’s very similar to a pot pie – except it’s missing a crust on top.
What a yummy, homey meal for the cool days of early spring, Sheryl.
It was tasty.
That does look really good. The asparagus makes the dish very fancy.
The asparagus on top makes for a nice presentation.
I think your dish is much more appealing than the illustration!
I think so too.
That’s nice to hear.
I agree. The green asparagus looks beautiful on top.
Green asparagus works well in this recipe.
Thanks – Maybe people a hundred years ago had different aesthetic preferences .
That looks wonderful! Never heard of white asparagus, I like the green on top adds appealing color!
White asparagus is grown without sunlight. I’ve had it once or twice. It is very tender, but often much more expensive than green asparagus.
Luckily, white asparagus is unavailable here in the UK. We absolutely don’t ‘get’ the way it’s so popular in say Germany and France (and it seems the US too) and continue to buy the green stuff with great appreciation!
White asparagus not very popular in the U.S. It is difficult to find and expensive. That said, it’s consider gourmet, so some people really like it.
I know it has lots of appreciative followers, but like most Brits, I just don’t ‘get’ it. My loss!
My husband came across an article in Morning Ag Clips about how much Germans like white asparagus. It reminded me of our discussion.
That was really interesting! Thanks. My husband lived in Germany for quite a while in his younger days, and though a Germanophile, still doesn’t ‘get’ white asparagus.
Okay! Your still here, Sheryl! I wasn’t sure your still contributing to your “Blog” thing here. Pleased to see that you are, I’ve enjoyed reading about your old-fashioned jelly omelette and thought perhaps I’d just stop by to say hello and thank you for the interesting content. I have “Subscribed” as well…
Thanks for subscribing and for taking a moment to write a comment. It’s nice to hear that you enjoy this blog. I have a lot of fun doing it. I’ve been doing A Hundred Years Ago for more than 12 years.