Master Recipe
Chicken Pot Pie
serves 6 to 8
NOTE: You can make the filling ahead of time, but remember to
heat it on top of the stove before topping it. As for the topping,
it can be made up to 2 hours in advance and refrigerated on a
floured baking sheet. The pot pie can be baked in one large pan (a
standard 13 x 9-inch pan is ideal but feel free to use any baking
dish with a similar surface area) or six individual ceramic baking
dishes.
11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
2 cups chicken stock of canned low-sodium brother
11/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-large onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
2 small celery stalks, cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 recipe Rich, Flaky Pie Dough, 1 recipe Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits or variations, or 1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Adjust oven rack to low-center position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken and stock in small Dutch oven or soup kittle over medium heat. Cover, bring to a simmer; simmer until chicken is just done, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to large bowl, reserving broth in measuring cup for easy pouring later.
2. Increase heat to medium-high; heat oil in now-empty pan. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. While vegetable are sautéing, shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken.
3. Heat butter over medium heat in same pan. When foaming subsides, add flour; cook about 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in chicken broth, milk, and accumulated chicken juices, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in sherry.
4. Pour sauce over chicken mixture; stir to combine. Stir in peas and parsley. Adjust seasonings. (The filling can be covered and refrigerated overnight; reheat before topping with pie dough, biscuits, or puff pastry.) Pour mixture into 13 x 9-inch pan or six 12-ounce ovenproof dishes. Top with pie dough (see figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), biscuits (see figure 6), or puff pastry (see figures 7 and 8); bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 minutes for a large pie and 20 to 25 minutes for individual pies. Serve hot.
VARIATIONS:
Chicken Pot Pie with Spring Vegetables
Herb Biscuits are particularly good here.
Follow Master Recipe, replacing celery with 18 thin asparagus stalks that have been trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Increase peas to 1 cup.
Chicken Pot Pie with Wild Mushrooms
The soaking liquid used to rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms replaces some of the chicken stock used to poach the chicken and then to enrich the sauce. This filling works well with Parmesan Biscuits.
Follow Master Recipe, soaking 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms in 2 cups warm tap water until softened, about 20 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid, strain liquid, and reserve 1 cup. Use soaking liquid in place of 1 cup of chicken stock. Proceed with recipe, cooking rehydrated porcini and 12 ounces sliced button mushrooms with vegetables. Finish as directed.
Chicken Pot Pie with Corn and Bacon
This southern variation with corn and bacon works especially well with Cornmeal Biscuits.
Follow Master Recipe, replacing oil with 1/4 pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Cook over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cook vegetables in bacon fat. Add drained bacon to bowl with chicken and cooked vegetables. Proceed with recipe, replacing peas with 2 cups fresh or frozen corn.
Turkey Pot Pie
Leftover turkey makes an excellent pot pie. If you want to use fresh turkey, replace chicken in Master Recipe with 1 1/2 pounds turkey breast tenderloins. In step 1, increase simmering time to 9-11 minutes.
For leftover turkey, follow Master Recipe, replacing chicken with 3 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded into bite-sized pieces. Eliminate step 1 and use 2 cups chicken stock in step 3.