CHICKEN POT PIE
TRADITIONAL, BUT FILLED WITH VEGETABLES
All of the pot pie’s luxurious features—the creamy cream sauce, flaky butter crust, and succulent pieces of chicken—were important to me in this Chicken Pot Pie recipe. However, I also wanted to ensure that it was balanced out with a healthy volume and variety of veggies. ‘
The “green” aspect that my mother was always concerned about is added by using lots of carrots, onions, peas, bell peppers, and herbs, and only three whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts are used to produce one large casserole and three smaller ones. In the end, it’s a well-rounded supper.
So, here we go. It’s a win-win situation!
INGREDIENTS:
FILLING:
- 950 ml of chicken stock
- 120 ml of heavy cream
- 115g of butter
- 100g of all-purpose flour
- 8 carrots, diced
- 3 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cups of frozen peas
- ½ cup of minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons of minced fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
DOUGH:
- 115g of diced unsalted butter
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of vegetable shortening
- ½ cup of ice water
- 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- Egg wash
INSTRUCTIONS:
- The oven should be preheated to 350°F. Sprinkle the chicken breasts liberally with salt and black pepper on a sheet pan.
- 35-40 minutes in the oven should suffice. Remove the chicken breasts from the oven after they’re done cooking and chop the meat off the bone, making large chunks of chicken. Cook the chicken in advance and store the bones to make a small batch of stock or plan to use the chicken stock for pot pie filling. If you go with the second option, boil the bones for a few hours in around 5 cups water.
- Prepare the pastry while the chicken is cooking. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor bowl and process until smooth. To make little pea-sized butter and shortenings, add the shortening and butter and pulse about ten times each.
- Add the ice water to the food processor while it is running and process until the dough just comes together. Depending on where the dough is wetter or dryer, you may need to stop and give it a stir with your hands. Make a ball by kneading the dough gently on a floured surface. The dough does not need to be overworked! For 30 minutes, wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge.
- Using a spatula, mix in the butter and allow the vegetables to simmer for a few more minutes. Pour in the 3/4 cup of flour after the butter has totally melted. For the next two minutes, stir the flour and vegetable combination regularly.
- Make sure to mix completely and break out any lumps in the chicken stock before adding it. The sauce will thicken and bubble if the heat is increased to medium-high. A gravy-like consistency should be achieved before adding the peas and chopped chicken breast. Then add the heavy cream and herbs such as rosemary and thyme. Remove from the heat after another 5 minutes of simmering.
- Your pot pies are ready to be made! Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit before beginning the recipe. When filling your oven-safe containers, make sure to leave about an inch of space between the top of the chicken pot pie mixture and the baking dish. I divided my dough into four equal pieces because I prepared a large casserole and three smaller ones. There’s no need to turn this into a precise science! On a floured surface, roll out the dough.
- You can use a pastry cutter to cut out circles of dough that fit snugly around your casserole dishes. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet, brush it with egg wash, and cut vents on the top. Cook the pot pies for an hour or until they are bubbling.