This recipe creates a pot pie with a thick creamy white sauce, tender vegetables and lots of chicken. It is a wonderful comfort food. There is not a lot of added spices but rather the flavor comes from the vegetables themselves. This was adapted form Wolfgang Puck’s “famous” chicken pot pie that he apparently served to celebrities at posh events.
TIPS: This recipe uses puff pastry on the top as the crust. You could also make the same chicken filling and use two pie crusts, to make it a double-crust pot pie in a pie dish if you prefer. If you do this your cooking time would need to increase to about 45 minutes. You could also add thyme, tarragon, rosemary or another spice if you feel you are needing more flavor. I haven’t needed to.
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken shredded
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups good-quality chicken broth (add more if too thick)
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne
- 1 1/2 C red-skinned potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 C carrots peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced small (about 1 C)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted following package instructions (approx 1 sheet)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Grease a large square or rectangular baking dish. (or 6 small baking dishes if you are making individual pot pies).
- Melt the butter in a large, tall saucepan. Add flour and whisk to ensure there are no lumps, then add the chicken stock. Cook out this mixture for 3-5 minutes while continuously stirring. Check the consistency by dipping the back of a spoon into the sauce and running your finger along the back of spoon. You want the sauce to cling to the spoon and not run over the swipe you made. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using). (Taste the sauce and see if your sauce needs more seasoning).
- Next, add the cream and stir to combine. Then, add the potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic to the sauce. Cook the vegetables in the sauce for 15 minutes until tender and you can pierce with a fork, but not falling apart. (The mixture will be quite thick, but if too thick or not almost covering the vegetables, add a touch more stock, remembering that the vegetables will also release a bit of liquid, so do not add much). Once vegetables are tender, add chicken and frozen peas, and simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer the filling into a clean bowl and chill for one hour, or until cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 200 ˚C.
- Roll out the puff pastry, using a bit of extra flour to ensure the pastry doesn’t stick to your work surface. Roll it out an inch larger on the borders in the shape of the dish(es) you are cooking your pot pie in.
- Carefully spoon your chilled filling into your dish(es).
- Break the egg in a small dish and add a tablespoon of water or cream. Whisk with a fork and brush this egg wash on the edges and rim of your dish. Lay your pastry over the top, being careful not to stretch the pastry. Seal the edges of the pastry by lightly pushing it onto the rim of your dish to make sure it is secure. Brush the top and sides of the puff pastry with more egg wash. Use a knife to cut three small slits on top for air escape.
- Place your large pot pie dish in the oven (or your individual pot pies on a large baking sheet then in the oven), and bake for 25-35 minutes. Bake until your pastry is a nice golden, dark brown and there are no more grayish raw patches. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!