Chicken Pot Pie
(from lawmama’s recipe box)
Make full-flavored, fresh-tasting chicken pot pie without spending all afternoon in the kitchen.
You can make the filling ahead of time, but remember to heat it on top of the stove before topping it. Mushrooms can be sautéed along with the celery and carrots, and blanched pearl onions can stand in for the onion. If you don’t want to make a pastry topping, make the related biscuit recipe, stamp out 8 rounds of dough, arrange dough rounds, over warm filling and bake as directed.
Source: Cook's Illustrated
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 7 people
Categories: Cook's Illustrated, chicken, dinner
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion
- 3 carrots
- 2 celery ribs
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 3 tablespoons parsley
Directions
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Make pie dough. Shape dough into ball, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes while preparing pie filling.
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Adjust oven rack to low-center position; heat oven to 400 degrees.
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Put chicken and broth in small Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Cover, simmer until chicken is just done, 8 to 10 minutes.
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Transfer meat to large bowl, reserving broth in measuring cup.
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Increase heat to medium-high; heat oil in now-empty pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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While vegetables are sautéing, shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
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Heat butter over medium heat in again-empty skillet. When foaming subsides, add flour to make a roux; cook about 1 minute.
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Whisk in chicken broth, milk, any accumulated chicken juices, and thyme.
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Bring to simmer, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute.
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Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in sherry.
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Pour sauce over chicken mixture; stir to combine.
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Stir in peas and parsley. Adjust seasonings. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight; reheat before topping with pastry.)
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To Assemble: Roll dough on floured surface to approximate 15-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. If making individual pies, roll dough 1/8-inch thick and cut 6 dough rounds about 1 inch larger than pan circumference.
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Pour chicken mixture into 13-by-9-inch pan.
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Lay dough over pot pie filling and trim/flute as needed.
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Cut at least four 1-inch vent holes in large pot pie or one 1-inch vent hole in smaller pies.
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Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 minutes for large pies and 20 to 25 minutes for smaller pies. Serve hot.