Chicken , Sausage, and Mushroom Pot Pie

MAKE THE PIE CRUST FIRST. See directions below. Chill crust while making filling.

To make the filling, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms, onions, and thyme or rosemary; saute until mushrooms are brown. Add the sausage (squeezed out of casings, if necessary) and saute until no longer pink, breaking up with a spoon. Add chicken or turkey, season with salt and pepper, and if it’s uncooked, saute until chicken is opaque, about 5 minutes. Add wine or Madeira and cook, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, for about 2 minutes.

Shake the 2 tablespoons of flour over the meat, toss it around to coat, then pour in the broth. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9″ deep dish pie pan. (The pie can be made ahead to this point; cover and chill overnight and when it’s time to bake, cover with the pie crust first.)

When ready to bake the pie, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s about an inch bigger around than your pie dish and then drape it over the filling. Crimp, if desired. Cut a few slits in the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

TO MAKE THE PIE CRUST: Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Add chilled butter and shortening. Working quickly and using your fingertips or a pastry blender, rub or cut fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on ice water, 2-3 tablespoons at a time, and toss with a fork. Turn dough out onto your work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape it up into 2 balls and wrap separately in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill 1 ball and freeze the other for future use. Now make your filling as directed above.