Saturday, November 17, 2007

Chicken Pot Pie

This is the ultimate American comfort food. This recipe makes two large pies. I usually cook one and freeze one for a later time.

Ingredients:
3 whole chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
5 cups homemade chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups medium-diced carrots
1 1/2 cups peas
1 1/2 cups small whole onions
2 cups firmly boiled red potato cubes
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.
In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Blanch the carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.
In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the chopped onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and milk. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, firm boiled red potatoes, celery, small onions and parsley. Mix well.
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Divide the filling equally among 2 large ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a circle that can generously cover the top of each bowl. Brush the outside edges of the bowls with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I just tried this recipe tonight. It was EXCELLENT!