Chicken Pot Pie

Baking a chicken pot pie takes a little practice for your average joe, but if you're feeling up to a little challenge the end result will be well worth it. I had been wanting to make one for a long time and finally found a recipe, in Everyday Food magazine, that looked manageable. My first attempt at crimping the edges of the dough was quite ugly... but everything else turned out wonderfully!


Chicken Pot Pie


Ingredients:

for the crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 stick (or 1/2 cup) of cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

for the filling

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
coarse salt & pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped


Directions:

1. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. (if you don't have a food processor you can also do this with your hands and a fork.) Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse dough, in a food processor or with your hands, until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm - 1 hour or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375.

3. Make filling: In large pot, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion and carrots and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables. Slowly add broth, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in peas. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in chicken and parsley. Pour filling into a 2-quart baking dish.

4. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Place dough over dish and fold overhang inward while pinching to crimp edge. Cut vents in dough. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling around edge, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.