McCLURE — Connie Laudermilch can still remember the aroma of freshly made chicken pot pie as a kid walking up to the serving booth at McClure’s Bean Soup Grove.
It was, of course, a family tradition as her father, Robert Ritter, 60, of McClure, was the guy in charge of the annual McClure Fire Company pot pie festival fundraiser.
This year was no different for Laudermilch, 51, now living in Hummelstown.
“I remember we all came,” she said. “It was truly a community event.”
The small rural Snyder County town was again bustling with chicken pot pie lovers Saturday for the final day of the three-day festival. Years after heading the pot pie event for so long, Ritter has since stepped down to enjoy the recipe from the other side of the kettle, even amid 90-degree temperatures.
“I come mostly because it tastes so good,” he said. “Where else can I get pot pie like this?”
Pat Duff, of McClure, is among the many volunteers who help prepare, cook and serve the chicken pot pie. According to Duff, the reason why the McClure dish is famous is simple.
“It’s just what we’re known for,” Duff said. “We make it the old-fashioned way, no short cuts.”
Duff and Wayne Walter, of McClure, have teamed together to cook the famed pot pie for the past 15 years. The two were together again Saturday, working the kettles cooking the 24-quart pots.
“We make everything fresh the day we serve it,” Walter said. “To us, it’s the only way to do it.”
Walter said the recipe is rather simple, although he declined to give specific measurements. He said the noodles are made from flour, eggs, water and dough mix, and the broth is a blend of homemade broth from chicken cooked months before and canned broth mixed with water, chicken base and parsley.
Preparation for the summer festival begins in the winter when the fire company buys the chicken when the price is low, according to Walter.
This year, Walter said the volunteer crew made 40 pots of pot pie on Thursday, 30 pots on Friday and 24 pots on Saturday.
Duff said the real work begins the morning of each serving day at 10 a.m. when volunteers warm up the frozen chicken broth and chicken meat.
“Once the broth starts boiling, it takes roughly 20 minutes to finish cooking it,” Duff said. “Also, tasting the broth while it cooks helps make sure it’s done just right.”
Duff said the next step is to cut the dough into three-inch by three-inch squares. The chicken also is cut during this time, according to Duff, who said he believes it’s the community atmosphere that makes the event so special.
“I enjoy the camaraderie with the people and not just those who help out,” Duff said. “We see a lot of our longtime friends come every year to get a plate.”
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Pot pie festival draws community together
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