Moravian chicken pie is a savory

meat pie A meat pie is a pie with a filling of meat and often with other savory ingredients. They are found in cuisines worldwide. Meat pies are usually baked, Frying, fried, or deep fried to brown them and develop the flavour through the Maillard react ...

that originated in the colonial town of

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

. It is a traditional double crusted pie made with flaky shortcrust pastry filled with only chunks of poached chicken meat and a thick broth-based sauce. Unlike chicken pot pies, vegetables are never included in the filling. The pie is served in slices with hot chicken gravy on top, and extra gravy on the side.

Mashed potatoes Mashed potato or mashed potatoes ( American and Canadian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper. It is generally served as ...

are a common accompaniment.

History

The Moravian immigrants who founded Salem in 1766 were familiar with the preparation of meat pies, which are a staple of the cuisine of

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the ...

, their ancestral home. In keeping with the simple, frugal Moravian lifestyle, the preparation of chicken pie required only five readily available ingredients (

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domestication, domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey junglefowl, grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster ...

broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, ...

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many c ...

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food), spread, melted a ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

) and a short baking time on an open hearth. Since colonial times, the recipe for Moravian chicken pie has changed little, and its culinary fame has spread far beyond Winston-Salem so that it has become an iconic North Carolina dish. Fresh and frozen pies are available in restaurants, stores, and specialty food shops throughout the

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region. Homemade Moravian chicken pies are a perennial staple of local church fundraisers, so much so that pastors are known to estimate the cost of various church projects by the number of chicken pies that must be sold to fund the project.

References

External links

Moravian Chicken Pie from The Complete Cook's Country TV Show; The Mom ChefMoravian Chicken Pie; Our State Magazine
{{Chicken dishes Savoury pies American pies American chicken dishes Moravian settlement in North Carolina North Carolina cuisine

History

See also

References

External links