Chicken Pot "Pile"...?

A few days ago, my partners and me were assigned to pick a vegetable and make a entrée with that ingredient being a major factor in the recipe. Because all members of our group disliked the vegetable mushroom, it was decided upon to make a vegetable potpie. A particular potpie, with a mushroom base for additional flavor and 12 ounces of small sliced mushrooms as well. First, after gathering the necessary materials and portions or “misenplase” we had to sauté the onions, mushrooms, diced potatoes, carrots, peas, and sprinkled flower for thickness. After the sautéed vegetables looked about done, we had to poor a mixed vegetable base because mushroom base was not available; it also tasted better. While this was all occurring, I was preparing the pastry dough that covered the top of the potpie, and whisking a egg yoke. Once the egg yoke was ready it was time to brush (using a pastry brush) the egg yoke on the top of the dough, so it would get crispy. We then added the sautéed veggies into a small hotel pan that would cook the potpie all together. Then, with Mr. Miller’s advice, he taught me how to fold the pasty dough over the top of the edge of the hotel pan and pinch hard underneath all sides of the edges. So, that is exactly what I did, and I was actually fully confident our potpie would look as good as it did before we put it in the oven, but, from there it was all downhill. While observing the potpie in the oven, we noticed that the pasty crust started to rise, which we thought was okay because it look like a stuffed pie. Five minutes later, the creases around the edges that were folded on the hotel pan started to break. This is where the potpie lost control. It’s sides blew up like a pillows on every side, and the top looked like a hot air balloon. At the end of the cooking process, the top of the crust wasn’t even touching the sides of the hotel pan, but the flavor was actually pretty delicious.
In the end, I was satisfied with the results of our potpie. Not only did it taste good, but it was a big learning experience me and my partners. And after critique from others, I feel confident in making a better pie crust next time I would like to make a potpie.

Logan P.