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I'm making a chicken pot pie. Taste is decent, texture is good, however the appearance of the 'chicken gravy' inside is more....dull gray like than a more vibrant yellow. I don't mind it, but most people eat with their eyes first so....
Is the yellow color artificial or natural, and what can be added/removed to create this?
Chicken fat is what you want, and--this is important--no cream or milk. Use chicken fat to make a roux, and then chicken stock. This will get you a yellowish colour.
For extra bonus points, make your pastry with schmaltz as well. They do this at the gourmet supermarket down the road, and their chicken pot pies fly off the shelves.
I've only seen that color in canned cream of chicken soup and I'm dubious of its source. I personally don't feel like it has to be yellow.
If your goal is just color I would use turmeric- it is my yellow-stain of choice.
Usually that bright yellow gravy colour is from using bouillon cubes or powder to make the broth, rather than making it yourself. The OXO cubes are quite heavily colored (not naturally), and will make your gravy yellow.
Turmeric can be used without effecting the taste too much, all though I agree with previous posters with the analysis on why the color is yellow.
Yellow? Hm...the gravy on my homemade pot pie is a pretty off-white, creamy color. It's colored by the half&half and chicken broth that it starts with.
Perhaps if your chicken broth is yellow-y to begin with and you use more of that?
Turmeric does work to give chicken soup or pot pie it's yellow color, but the best thing to use is saffron threads. Just a few threads will turn a whole soup a nice yellow, without altering the flavor. Saffron is also what is used to make Spanish Paella (rice with chicken, sausage and shrimp). It can be purchased at specialty grocery stores, like Whole Foods, or sometimes health food stores or online. It is very costly compared to other seasonings. (a small vile which might have 10 threads in it for $10.) Hope this helps you. PS. Do not overuse the saffron as a little goes a long way in coloring broths.
Yellow colored chicken soup can be achieved using chicken feet. Old Jewish secret
To get a rich golden yellow color in the sauce of the chicken pot pie, I gradually add 2 beaten egg yolks to the sauce with a whisk so it doesn't curdle. I let the egg yolk mixture cook and thicken along with the sauce. This is like the technique used when making a custard.
Using a brown chicken stock would help the color and provide some extra flavor. When making your stock, roast the bones before adding them. Brown the veggies before adding them. (Some people add a little tomato paste, too.)
