Turkey Pot Pie

A week post Thanksgiving and I am still left with two huge legs from a 16lb turkey we had hosting the dinner at our place. Flipping randomly through the magazines and browsing randomly online, "What do you do with your holiday leftovers?" seems like a real hot topic, and I think this will be on focus at least for a little while longer considering that the holiday season has just started kicking off with plenty more festive meal lineup promised. The Bon Appétit magazine November issue started with plenty of ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers and this is where I got intrigued with the idea of making a turkey pot pie. This is yet another first after so many others this Thanksgiving - first time hosting, first time dealing with a bird so huge, first time seeing, making and actually tasting a turducken, and now a homemade pot pie. And it surprisingly did not disappoint not even a tad! All of a sudden I think I no longer do dread or mind turkey leftovers that much now. Hereon, as much as I shall always love the whole purpose of Thanksgiving, I can already foresee my anticipation of always having a turkey pot pie each time post Thanksgiving!

Turkey Pot Pie 
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Serves 3-4
1 recipe pastry for a double crust pie (homemade or store bought)
4 tbsps salted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsps flat-leaf parsley, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
1½ cups turkey meat, diced
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsps all-purpose flour

Egg wash (mix in a small bowl)
1 egg yolk
2 tbsps milk 

1. Melt 2 tbsps butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery, carrots, potatoes and parsley. Stir to combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
2. Pour in the chicken broth slowly into the skillet and bring to boil. Leave boiling and stir occasionally until the vegetables and especially potatoes turn tender but retaining their firmness still.
3. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, melt in the remaining butter on medium heat. Stir in the turkey and all-purpose flour. Add in the milk slowly and heat thoroughly until the mixture starts thickening.
4. Transfer the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture. Mix to combine and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and have the whole content transferred into a deep dish to let cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the bottom pie crust on a floured work surface and lightly flatten with a hand roller. Press into a pie pan (preferably a 9", but I had mine measuring a little less than 8½" working all fine with some extra filling to tease my tastebuds while the pot pie is taking its own sweet time in the oven lol).
6. When the filling has cooled down enough, pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell carefully. Spread them out forming a little dome.
7. Roll out the top crust, flatten slightly and evenly and place on top of the filling. Flute the edges by pressing the tines of a fork around it to seal. Trim off the excess dough around the pie. Lightly brush the surface with the egg wash to give the pie a golden sheen in its final appearance. Use a little sharp knife to make four slits in the top crust to let out steam. Place the pie on a baking tray to catch any juices that may overflow during baking.   
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for another 20 minutes or a couple of minutes more until the crust is golden brown. Serve warm.