Chef John Butter Crust Food

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERMILK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll out pie dough large enough to fit pie dish with just a bit of overhang. Transfer dough to pie dish and gently fit into dish. Trim excess dough hanging over the edge. Fold about 1/2 inch of the edge of the dough to the inside edge of the pie crust to reinforce it. Crimp the edge. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork about 10 times. Place a sheet of parchment paper gently into the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans so pie crust doesn't bubble up with you bake it.
• Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes. Remove dish from oven; lift weights from pan with edges of parchment paper. Allow crust to cool completely.
• Place butter in mixing bowl; add sugar. Smear together until completely combined using a spatula, 4 or 5 minutes. Add flour and salt. Mix together until combined. Stir in 3 eggs; mix until slightly blended. Then using a whisk, whisk together until mixture is fairly smooth and creamy.
• Pour in vanilla extract. Add nutmeg, zest of lemon, lemon juice, and buttermilk. Whisk until thoroughly mixed, 2 or 3 minutes. Pour into pie shell.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and just set, 45 to 55 minutes. Pie should have a slight wiggle, but not a soupy "jiggle." Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

ROAST CHICKEN IN A BUTTER CRUST

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, salt and sugar and mix briefly to combine. Add butter pieces and mix until butter breaks into smaller pieces and is evenly mixed with flour. Add 1/2 cup cold water and mix until dough begins to come together in one lump.
• Turn off mixer, remove paddle and attach dough hook. Knead at low speed until a smooth mass forms, about 2 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand: push dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold it over toward you, give it a quarter-turn, then repeat until dough feels elastic and moist. If dough feels sticky, knead in flour as you go, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Make the chicken: Cut off wing tips and discard (or save for stock). Pat bird dry and sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, loosely covered, while you make the stuffing (or longer, up to 2 days).
• Heat oil or butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables, herbs and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, at a gentle sizzle until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to prevent browning. Set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Stuff chicken with the vegetables. To secure stuffing and keep the bird in a compact shape, cross legs at the "ankles" and tie together with twine.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a rough circle that's large enough to enclose the chicken. Place stuffed chicken, breast side down, in the center. Wrap dough up and around the bird, encompassing it completely. Overlap the edges and pinch them closed to make a seam. Turn wrapped bird over and place seam side down on a baking sheet.
• Whisk egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush all over dough. Sprinkle very lightly with salt. Bake until crust is golden brown and meat is cooked through (165 degrees; it is O.K. to puncture the crust with the thermometer), 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on size.
• Let cool 1 to 2 hours before serving. The meat will remain hot and the juices will be absorbed into the meat and the stuffing.
• To serve, use your hands to break off the top of the crust and place on the baking sheet. The breasts will be on top: peel off skin, discard, and carve the breast meat off the bone. Continue carving, without turning bird over. The juices will soak into the crust and pool on the baking sheet: this is exactly what you want. Cut the twine and use a spoon to remove stuffing and divide on serving plates. Add chicken and pieces of crust to each plate. Tilt pan and spoon up juices to pour over meat and vegetables. Serve immediately.

EASY HOMEMADE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 1-second pulses.
• Stir water and vinegar in a small bowl.
• Pour half the ice water and vinegar mixture into the flour and butter mixture. Pulse to combine, about 3 (1-second) pulses. Pour in remaining ice water and vinegar mixture. Pulse until mixture just starts to come together, about 8 (1-second) pulses.
• Turn dough out onto a wooden surface, pat into round shape and divide in half. Form each half into a disc about 5 inches wide.
• Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until ready to use.

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5 minutes.
• Make a well in the center of butter and flour mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir until just combined.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface, pat together into a rectangle.
• Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and pressing dough a total of three times.
• Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
• Transfer biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb.
• Brush the tops of biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.