Potpiefinger

A few months back I went out for a most delightful brunch at Lucia's in Uptown. We got a sunny table in a cozy corner, had a buttery current scone and some not too bitter espresso drinks and THEN started thinking about what to order.

I used to be really big into breakfast food but after making millions of over medium eggs and my patented bacon waffles (those were mostly for me) for customers at the Red Rose Diner, lunch has become more of my jam. And I am hungry for it all the time. So when our server told us there was a chicken pot pie on special, I had to have it. It was very simple and delicately seasoned and none of the ingredients in the filling were too mushy or too crisp. Best of all, instead of a heavy crust, they topped the ramekin with a flaky round of puff pastry.

I did my best to re-create this beauty two nights ago. I cheated and used the pre-made rounds but I have, in the past, been known to make my own puff pastry. Okay, it was just once and it was NOT easy. This pastry is very impressive and versatile, but I warn you, only undertake this endeavor if you have a lot of time on your hands because you can never be too far away from your dough during this process.

Puff Pastry from Epicurean

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup ice water
Flour for dusting

Directions:
Combine the flour and salt on a work surface. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour and then toss together until all the cubes are coated with the flour. Shape the mixture into a mound and form a well in the center.

Pour the water into the well. With your fingertips, as though you were tossing a salad, work the water into the flour-butter mixture until a rough dough begins to form. It will look like torn and knotted rags. Gently press the dough together so that all the dry flour is absorbed.

Form the dough into a rectangle about 6 by 8 inches and 1 1/4 inches thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 7-by-16-inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. With a short side of the rectangle facing you, fold the dough as you would a business letter: fold down the top two-thirds toward you and then fold the bottom third over the top. This is a single turn.

Give the dough a quarter turn so that the open seam is on your right and the closed seam is on your left. If necessary, lightly flour the work surface so the dough doesn't stick. Repeat the rolling and folding process; this is another single turn. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Give the dough 2 more single turns, rolling and folding each time and making sure to give it a quarter turn between the 2 turns so the open seam is on your right. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Once more, give the dough 2 single turns, folding and rolling as before, and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out as directed in individual recipes.

*The purpose of all this turning is to get the fat and flour to make several layers on top of one another. The water hangs out in between these layers and evaporates as the pastry bakes. This is how you achieve the very airy and flaky texture.