St. Louis de Montfort French Country Chicken Pot Pie

St. Louis de Montfort

(1673-1716)

Feast Day- April 28th

“To suffer much, yet badly, is to suffer like reprobates. To suffer much even bravely, but for a wicked cause, is to suffer as a martyr of the devil. To suffer much or little for the sake of God is to suffer like Saints.” ~ St. Louis de Montfort

“St. Louis de Montfort would have to be in the top one percent of all the Saints who suffered the most rejection, yet accomplished the most for God! This devoted little child of Jesus and Mary, was born on January 31, 1693, Louis Marie Grigñon was the second of eighteen children. Louis’s father was a holy man, but the Grigñon’s were known for their tempers. St. Louis said, “If I had not given my life completely to the Lord as a priest, I would have been the worst criminal in France.” The family prayed the Rosary together every evening. His family bought him a new suit and gave him money to go to Paris to study to become a priest. Louis traded clothes with a beggar who had less and gave him all his money. He took the surname of de Montfort (of Montfort) for the town in which he was baptized.

Louis was ordained to the priesthood and went to work in the General Hospital of Poitiers, which was really a huge sick-poor house. Louis set to work with tremendous zeal to clean the hospital and care for the people who lived there. He formed a group of handicapped and disabled women into a congregation called the Daughters of Divine Wisdom. Fr. de Montfort was so successful improving the hospital, the sick and poor loved him, but those who ran the hospital became jealous and asked him to leave. A cloud of controversy followed him after this, and he eventually sought a meeting with the Holy Father to ask permission to be sent to the foreign missions.

Pope Clement XI listened patiently and uttered prophetic words when he told Fr. de Montfort he felt strongly France needed him more than the foreign missions. Unbeknownst to the two men, the French Revolution would take place in 90 years. The French Revolution attempted to crush the Catholic Faith and completely de-Christianize France. The work that Fr. Louis de Montfort would do in France would later play a critical role in fighting the forces of evil. The Holy Father made Fr. Louis a Missionary Apostolic, which was a missionary like the first Apostles. Fr. Louis and another young priest walked through the countryside of France, preaching the tenderness and mercy of Jesus and Mary to villages. Fr. Louis was known for working miracles in the Name of Jesus, healing the sick, multiplying bread and he had the ability to touch the hardest of hearts for Christ. St. Louis de Montfort’s writings survive to this day, one of the most popular being “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Fr. Louis de Montfort preached on the peace and gentleness of Jesus and Mary, even as his health worsened. He died at 8:00 p.m. on April 28, 1716. His dying words were, “In vain do you attack me now, for I am between Jesus and Mary. Thank God for His Holy Mother. It is accomplished, I shall never sin again.” The daily faithful work of this seemingly insignificant apostolic preacher, survived the reign of “The Sun King” King Louis XIII and the subsequent reign of terror during the French Revolution. The seeds of Faith thrown by St. Louis de Montfort, grow “Sonflowers” all over France to this day! Make this French Country Chicken Pot Pie and tell the story of this great Saint!

St. Louis de Montfort French Country Chicken Pot Pie

This is a delicious savory tasting chicken pot pie that everyone loves and the thyme makes your house smell wonderful! The homemade biscuit dough crust is easy. Cooking from scratch allows you to make healthier food for yourself and your family.

Ingredients

Organic butter a two-quart casserole or deep pie dish.

This is my “rustic” casserole dish.

Turn you oven to 425 degrees.

Chop up your onion.

Melt the 2 T. of Organic Butter and sauté the chopped onion.

Add chicken pieces

Sautè until cooked through and golden brown.

Sprinkle with the ¼ c. Non-GMO flour and stir to coat.

Gradually pour 2 c. chicken broth over the chicken and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Add the ½ c. frozen organic corn. Remember to avoid GMO corn and protect your health!

Now add ½ c. frozen organic peas for beautiful green color and wonderful God-made nutrients!

Add ½ c. sliced fresh mushrooms to the mixture.

I added a few more mushrooms because mine were kind of large.

Half a teaspoon of Mediterranean sea salt protects you from aluminum and has natural iodine and magnesium. Like we talked about in Health News last week!

Now for the ¼ t. of pepper.

Now for the French inspired flavor, ¼ t. dried thyme leaves. This creates the most wonderful aroma that fills your house! Take it in and enjoy the moment!

The ¼ c. dry sherry or white wine gives the flavor rich warmth like the Provence sun.

Stir all this together and pour it into your prepared dish. Now you are ready to make the crust! Make sure your oven is turned on to 425 degrees.

Crust Ingredients

Sift the 1 c. Non-GMO flour, 2 t. non aluminum baking powder & ¼ t. sea salt into a large mixing bowl.

Add the 4 Tablespoons of cold cubed butter and cut the butter into the flour.

It should look like coarse sand.

Add the ¼ c. buttermilk.

Using a fork, stir in the buttermilk – you may need a little bit more. But do not add too much! :) Just a tablespoon at a time.

I added 2 T. more to mine. Toss to combine.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead 4 to 5 times, until just combined.

Add some more flour to your surface if needed and roll the dough out large enough to cover the top of the dish you are using.

Carefully transfer the dough to the top of your casserole and gently push down and up the sides of the rim. The great thing about a rustic crust is that it is supposed to look a little rough around the edges, so if it tears, just patch it. Beat the egg and glaze the top of the crust with a pastry brush.

Using a sharp knife, cut some slits in the top of the crust to allow the steam to escape. They look like little bird footprints to me. Put your Country French pie in the hot 425 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. It is done when the crust is golden brown.

Isn’t this beautiful! Imagine how grateful St. Louis de Montfort would have been if someone had made him this wonderful dinner. I am sure, knowing the French, someone did! Allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving and talk about St. Louis de Montfort! He is one of my favorite Saints!

St. Louis de Montfort French Country Chicken Pot Pie

Feast Day: April 28th

425 Degree Oven

organic buttered two-quart casserole or deep pie dish

Filling:

2 T. Organic Butter

1 large Organic Onion, chopped

2 c. (12 tenders) Hormone Free Chicken Tenders, cut in bite size pieces

¼ c. Non-GMO Flour

2 c. Chicken Broth

½ c. Frozen Organic Corn Kernels (do not use GMO corn)

½ c. Frozen Organic Peas

½ c. Fresh Mushroom, sliced

½ t. Sea Salt

¼ t. Pepper

¼ t. Dried Thyme Leaves

¼ c. Dry Sherry or White Wine

Crust:

1 c. Non GMO Flour

2 t. Non Aluminum Baking Powder

¼ t. Sea Salt

4 T. Organic Butter, cut into chunks

¼ c. plus 2 T. Buttermilk

1 Large Egg, Hormone & Antibiotic Free

In a large skillet, sauté the onion in butter until tender. Add the chicken pieces and sauté over medium high heat until chicken is golden brown. Sprinkle in the four and stir to coat the chicken and onion pieces. Gradually add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for five more minutes, or until mixture thickens to the consistency of gravy.

Stir in the frozen organic corn and peas, along with the mushrooms, sea salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Heat thoroughly. Add sherry or white wine and mix well. Pour into a lightly organic buttered two-quart casserole or deep pie dish.

In a separate large mixing bowl sift the 1 c. Non-GMO flour, 2 t. Non aluminum baking powder, and ¼ t. sea salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ¼ c. plus 2 T. buttermilk, and toss with a fork.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until just combined. Roll dough out until it is large enough to cover the top of the casserole or dish you are using. Place the dough on top of the casserole and push down on top of the chicken mixture and up the sides to the rim. Brush the beaten egg onto the surface of the dough and make some slits using a sharp knife, for the steam to escape. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.