Pennsylvania Dutch 'pot pie' is one of the great culinary surprises of American cooking; not a pie at all in any conventional sense, but a thick, saffron-coloured chicken and potato broth with hand-rolled square noodles (called pot pie squares or 'bott boi') dropped in and cooked directly in the broth. The dish is the most distinctive expression of Pennsylvania Dutch saffron use, and it is unlike any European saffron tradition. Welsh and German Mennonite settlers brought saffron cultivation to Lancaster County in the early 18th century: the only significant saffron growing in the Americas; and incorporated it into their cooking in a restrained, almost quiet way: used primarily to colour the broth a warm gold and add a faint metallic warmth to an otherwise simply seasoned dish. There is none of the assertive perfume of Persian saffron rice, none of the complex multi-spice backdrop of Mughal biryani, none of the fennel and orange peel of bouillabaisse. The saffron in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking stands almost alone, its flavour amplified by understatement. The pot pie noodle squares, made from flour, egg, and butter, are thick and substantial; they absorb the saffron broth and become deeply golden throughout. The dish is the centrepiece of the Pennsylvania Dutch Sunday dinner table.
Ingredients
Chicken
1 whole chicken (about 1.8kg), jointed into 8 pieces
Saffron
1 generous pinch saffron threads (about 0.4g), steeped in 3 tbsp warm water for 20 minutes
Broth
2 medium onions, quartered
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch fresh parsley, stalks and leaves separated
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp salt
Pot Pie
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Pot Pie Noodles
300 g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
4 tbsp cold water
0.5 tsp salt (for noodle dough)
Method
Place the chicken pieces in a large pot with the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley stalks, peppercorns, and salt. Cover with cold water (about 2.5 litres). Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour until the chicken is completely tender and falling from the bone.
While the chicken simmers, make the pot pie noodle dough: combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter pieces and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well, add the beaten eggs and cold water. Mix to form a stiff dough. Knead briefly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and rest for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken pieces from the broth. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discarding the vegetables. Shred the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. You should have approximately 1.5 litres of rich golden broth.
Roll the rested dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness. Cut into 5cm squares using a sharp knife or pastry wheel. These are the 'pot pie squares'.
Bring the strained broth to a gentle boil. Add the saffron water with its threads. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the potato chunks and cook for 10 minutes until beginning to soften.
Add the pot pie squares to the simmering saffron broth one by one, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Simmer for 12–15 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and have absorbed the golden saffron broth; they should be soft, slightly chewy, and deeply golden throughout. Scatter the chopped parsley leaves over the top. Serve in deep bowls; the dish should be brothy, not dry.
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