COMFORT FOOD : NOTHING BEATS HOMEMADE POT PIES HOT FROM THE OVEN.

Byline: Jane Snow Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

The rich aroma of chicken pot pie mingles with exhaust fumes in the crisp air, like Mom's home cooking gone diesel.

In a strange juxtaposition of the old and the new, pot pies have become one of the hottest drive-through foods of the '90s.

About 40 million pot pies were sold over the counter and at drive-up windows at KFC restaurants in 1996, and sales are expected to increase 12 percent this year.

Diners are buying ready-made pot pies at $3 to $5 each not only because they're convenient, but because the simple combination of chicken, gravy, carrots and potatoes in a pastry crust is a comforting throwback to the past.

``People eat out several times a week, and they're tired of trendy cuisine,'' says Jean Litterst, KFC spokeswoman. ``They want something like Mom would make.''

Many of the pot pies on the market are indeed like something Mom would make. The newcomers bear little resemblance to the puny frozen pot pies of the 1950s, which featured mushy vegetables and microscopic bits of meat in a thin, bland gravy.

KFC's pot pies are on the sweet side, but not at all bad. They're filled with big chunks of chicken and firm vegetables and topped with a burnished, Pepperidge Farm puff pastry crust. Boston Market's pot pie isn't as handsome, but it tastes just as good. Big slices of chicken, along with peas and fresh-tasting potatoes, are napped with a tarragon-scented chicken gravy and topped with a delicious herbed crust.

``This is pot-pie season,'' Litterst confirms.

On busy weeknights, it's hard to beat the convenience of a carryout pot pie. But on weekends, when steaming up the kitchen is a pleasure instead of a chore, the lowly pot pie can be taken to new heights.

Give thanks that life has progressed since the Middle Ages, when pot pies took all day to make. They were made in a pot - hence the name - lined with pastry and filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables, then topped with a crust and covered with a lid. The pot was hung over an open fire to bake.

Now, making a homemade pot pie isn't the chore it was even two decades ago thanks to conveniences Mom never had, such as rotisserie chicken, food processors and frozen puff pastry.

Those who just can't get enough of KFC's chicken pot pie can duplicate it easily at home with our recipe. Like KFC, we let Pepperidge Farm provide the crust and Campbell's provide the sauce. Adding a small amount of sugar to Campbell's cream of chicken soup produced a dead ringer for the gravy in KFC's pies. Using a supermarket rotisserie chicken made assembling the pot pie a snap.

The pie is made in a 9x12-inch cake pan instead of individual pans, although it would be simple to buy individual aluminum pie pans and fill them instead. The baking time would be the same.

David Rosengarten came up with an incredible, company-worthy chicken pot pie in his new book, ``The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook.'' A buttery, flaky crust tops a filling of chicken, pearl onions and tender haricot verts (green beans) in a rich cream sauce seasoned with rosemary.

The last pie is a hearty dish of sausages, parsnips and onions topped with a crust, from ``One Bowl'' by Kelly McCune. The recipe calls for gourmet sausages, such as apple and sage, available now in many supermarkets. Regular pork sausage may be substituted. Parsnips resemble white carrots, and have wonderfully sweet flavor. They're a nice addition to this pie.

ALMOST KFC CHICKEN POT PIE

1 cooked rotisserie chicken

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

6 medium potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

Water

1 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper 

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces EACH) condensed cream of chicken soup

2 soup cans milk

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Remove skin from chicken and shred meat into bite-sized chunks. Measure out 4 cups and set aside, reserving any remaining chicken for another use.

Remove puff pastry sheet from box and thaw at room temperature.

Meanwhile, scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (peeling is not necessary). Place in a large pot. Add carrots. Barely cover with hot water. Cover pot, bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.

Place frozen peas in a strainer. Pour potatoes and carrots over peas in strainer and drain. Season with salt and pepper.

In same pot, combine soup and milk, stirring until smooth. Heat to a simmer. Stir in sugar. Add shredded chicken and vegetables and simmer until warmed through.

Unfold pastry sheet and roll out on a lightly floured board to a rectangle slightly larger than a 9x12-inch pan. Pour hot filling into pan. Moisten edges of pastry and place over filling, moistened edges down. Fold edges over rim of pan and press to seal.

Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH ROSEMARY

DOUGH:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, chilled and cubed

1/4 cup ice water

FILLING:

2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 ribs celery, sliced

2 large carrots, cut in 1/4-inch rounds

1 quart water

1/4 pound haricot verts (thin green beans)

1 cup tiny pearl onions

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

3 cups boiling chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/3 cup half-and-half

2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water

For Dough, in a food processor bowl, place flour, salt and butter. Pulse until crumbly. With processor running, drizzle in ice water and process until dough comes away from side. Do not let dough form a ball. With your hands, shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Or dough may be made by hand by combining flour and salt in a bowl and cutting in butter. Slowly add water, tossing mixture with a fork. Gather into a ball.

For Filling, season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and saute garlic, celery and carrots until tender, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add haricot verts and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge beans into ice water. Drain and set aside.

Peel onions but leave root intact so onions hold together. Cook in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and remove root ends.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk 1 minute. Add broth, milk and cream. Bring to a boil, whisking; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary.

Place chicken and vegetables in a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Pour sauce over filling and mix well.

On a floured surface, roll dough to a round about 1 1/2 inches larger than baking dish. Place over filling and crimp edge. Prick top with a fork. Brush dough with egg mixture.

Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

SAUSAGE, PARSNIP AND ONION PIE

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

Pinch salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter

4 tablespoons ice water

18 tiny pearl onions

Pinch sugar

1 pound gourmet sausage, 2 varieties, cut in bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup red wine

2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon dried sage

8 sprigs parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Make dough in a food processor by pulsing 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and 8 tablespoons of butter until crumbly. Drizzle in water, with processor running, until dough leaves sides of bowl. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Peel onions and trim roots. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Sprinkle onions with sugar and cook in butter over low heat, stirring often, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour off fat in pot. Add sausage pieces and brown over medium heat. Remove and drain.

Pour off any fat remaining in pot. Add wine and cook over medium heat about 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from bottom. Add parsnips and broth and simmer, covered, until parsnips are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove parsnips with a slotted spoon and set aside.

With fingers, work remaining 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons butter into a paste. Stir paste into bubbling broth, a small amount at a time. Cook and stir until broth is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add sage, parsley, salt and pepper. Add onions, sausage and parsnips and mix well. Pour into a deep pie plate.

Roll out dough to a circle 1/2 inch larger all around than pie plate. Place pastry over filling, folding edges under and crimping. Press edges firmly to plate. Make several slits in top.

Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 35 to 45 minutes, until crust is golden. Makes 4 servings.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--2--Color) Chicken pot pie is hot, according to restaurant chains such as KFC, which sold 40 million in 1996.

Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal