Crust-less Chicken Pie III

Crustless chicken pie is a layered savory pudding from the era when no one wasted a chicken. Cooked chicken (perfect for using up the back end of a roast bird), soft bread crumbs, chopped celery, and parsley get layered in a casserole, then bound together with an egg-and-broth custard. The water-bath bake gently cooks the eggs into a tender set without curdling.

The water bath (bain-marie) is the technique that separates this from a generic chicken casserole. Setting the casserole into a pan of hot water moderates the heat reaching the eggs, so the custard cooks gently and stays silky rather than turning rubbery or weeping. Skip the water bath and you get scrambled-egg-textured chicken pie, which is not what you want.

Using soft fresh bread crumbs, not dried packaged ones, is the right call. Soft crumbs absorb the broth-and-egg liquid evenly and turn into a tender layer; dried crumbs stay hard and gritty even after the long bake. Tear or cube fresh bread and let it dry on the counter for an hour, or pulse stale bread briefly.

Layering is what gives the finished pie its texture. Alternate chicken, celery, crumbs, and parsley in even layers so each slice has a stripe of each component. Dump everything in together and you lose the layered structure that makes this dish more interesting than chicken-egg slop.

The knife test for doneness ('mixture does not adhere to knife blade') is the old-school way to check. A clean knife means the eggs are set; a wet knife means more time.

Pro Tips

• Use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken with skin removed for the most flavorful base.
• Make your own broth from the chicken bones if possible, the depth of flavor is dramatically better than canned.
• Beat the eggs only until just combined; over-beating creates too much foam, which can curdle in the bake.
• Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing so the custard fully sets.

Variations

• Swap chicken for cooked turkey leftovers; this is brilliant for the day after Thanksgiving.
• Add 1 cup of chopped sauteed mushrooms between layers for earthier depth.
• Stir 1 cup of grated Gruyère or sharp cheddar into the custard for a richer, cheesier version.