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I grew up just outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a town with a few claims to food fame: Texas Pete hot sauce, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and Moravian baked goods.
Moravians are the oldest Protestant sect in the world. In the 1750s, many of them bought a large piece of land in the Winston-Salem area and settled there, fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, what is now the Czech Republic. They founded the towns of Bethabara and Salem, both of which are historic sites you can visit today.
While my family is not Moravian, I grew up enjoying many of the traditional Moravian foods popular in the area: beguilingly thin Moravian ginger cookies (which you can now find nationwide thanks to Dewey’s Bakery), Moravian sugar cake—a yeasted cake dimpled like focaccia and topped with a generous layer of brown sugar and butter—and Moravian chicken pies.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Pies So Good They’re Treated Like Currency
These special chicken pies would appear in my mom’s freezer in the fall, bought from one of the many church fundraisers that treated the pies almost like currency. In fact, some churches reportedly measure the cost of repairs and renovations in how many chicken pies they will have to sell to fund those projects.
Perhaps the most notable thing about Moravian chicken pies is that they contain no vegetables. To my mind, the vegetables in a chicken pie are mostly there for show anyway. We’re all here for the tender chicken, flavorful gravy, and flaky crust, all of which Moravian chicken pies have in spades.
How To Serve Moravian Chicken Pie
It’s common to serve slices of Moravian chicken pie with extra chicken gravy on top, though that’s a matter of taste. My cousin, who makes the pies regularly, skips the extra gravy but swears by the addition of plenty of black pepper.
For a traditional pairing (and a deliciously beige meal), serve the pie with mashed potatoes and Moravian slaw—a mayo-less cabbage slaw seasoned with plenty of sugar, vinegar, and jarred pimientos.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Tips for Making Moravian Chicken Pie
- Light vs. dark meat: Traditionally, this pie would have made use of a whole chicken. Most modern versions use chicken breast, but you can use a combination of light and dark meat for a more robust chicken flavor.
- Use a metal pie pan: Since my version of this pie does not have a long baking time, it benefits from the use of a metal pie pan which heats up faster, producing a browner crust in less time.
- Go low and slow: Don’t rush poaching the chicken. Chicken breast overcooks if you look at it funny, so keep a close eye on it, using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature frequently.
- Size matters: If your chicken breasts aren’t the same size, you may need to remove one from the poaching liquid before the other is done. Don’t wait until both are done—the smaller one will be overcooked.
- Skip the straining: There’s no need to strain the broth after cooking the chicken—there will be floaties and chicken fat in it and that’s OK. Both will disappear into the gravy.
How to Make It Ahead
Just like the Moravians do, you can assemble the chicken pie ahead of time (let the gravy cool completely before assembling), wrap it tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, freeze it, and bake it from frozen. Allow 1 to 1 1/2 hours of baking for the pie to heat through.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
More Regional Specialties
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2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
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4 cups chicken broth
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
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1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
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2 store-bought unroll-and bake pie crusts, thawed if frozen
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Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Cook the chicken:
Place the chicken breasts in a large saucepan and pour the broth over them. Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring just to a simmer over medium heat (this will take 10 to 12 minutes). Simmer very gently (you will likely need to reduce the heat to medium-low or low), covered, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 155°F on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 18 minutes. (The chicken won’t be quite fully cooked at this stage, but will continue cooking through while the pie bakes.)
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
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Shred the chicken:
Use tongs to transfer the chicken breasts to a plate or baking sheet (reserve the broth—you’ll need it for the gravy). Let cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 forks or clean hands to finely shred the chicken. Set aside.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
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Make the gravy:
Measure out 2 cups of the chicken broth into a liquid measuring cup. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add the broth to the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly.
Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened but is still pourable, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and taste, seasoning with more as needed. The gravy should be a little on the salty side, as the chicken is unseasoned.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
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Assemble the pie:
Lay one of the pie crusts in the bottom of a 9-inch metal pie plate, pressing it into the edges along the bottom. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon flour over the bottom of the crust. Fill the pie crust with the shredded chicken, then pour 1 cup of the gravy over it.
Lay the second pie crust on top of the filling. Press the pie crust edges together to seal them, trim as needed so the overhang is 1/2-inch over the edge of the pie plate, then crimp or flute the rim as desired (you can also use the tines of a fork to make a ridged pattern). Use a knife to cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
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Bake:
Bake the chicken pie until the crust is light golden brown and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
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Cool and serve:
Let the pie cool for 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
Serve wedges topped with any remaining chicken gravy, rewarmed, if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers in the plate, tightly covered, for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the pie in a 350°F oven until heated through (tent the pie with foil if the crust starts to over-brown) or microwave individual servings until hot.
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Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 547 | Calories |
| 26g | Fat |
| 43g | Carbs |
| 33g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 547 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 26g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 47% |
| 86mg | 29% |
| 1167mg | 51% |
| 43g | 16% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 9% |
| Total Sugars 4g | |
| 33g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 36mg | 3% |
| Iron 3mg | 18% |
| Potassium 333mg | 7% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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