Chicken Pot PIe

I remember the first time i made this recipe , i thought boy .. this meal is a lot of work !! But now that i know my way around the kitchen , what should i do first and moving on to the next step while preparing other things , it’s really not that bad . Wasn’t hard and well .. though it took a little time , but when you prep everything , it will go quick . You can also prepare this meal , part of it , a day ahead of time . Such as , make the pie dough ahead of time , you can make it a day before . Then you can roast the chicken earlier that day .. by then everything will go pretty quick .

Chicken pot pie is like 1 pot meal , i don’t think it’s necessary to serve it with any other thing , it has the vegetables , it has the chicken which provides your protein , and it has the pie crust .. those yummy pie crust .. So , even if you have to spend couple hours in the kitchen , it’s really worth it . This meal is particularly comforting during cold winter months .

The Recipe :

For the pastry dough :

3 cups of flour

1/2 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 cup of vegetable shortening

1 stick of unsalted butter

1/2 c – 2/3 c of ice cold water

In a food processor , mix the flour , salt and baking powder . Add the shortening and butter , pulse few times until it becomes crumbly . Then with the motor running , add the ice cold water , the dough should started to come together , don’t pulse too long , the dough will be too turn out hard ( pie crust ) . Just enough , so when you press the dough together it will stay together . Then shape into a ball / disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes .Set aside , use until it’s ready to be used .

Meanwhile .. prepare the chicken

3 splits chicken breast with bone in , rub with little olive oil , sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper . Bake in the oven at 350 F ,  for about 30-35 minutes , if you have to bake longer , no more than 40 minutes or your chicken will get too dry .Once it’s done , set aside , let it cool enough to handle . Then cut the chicken into cubes . Set aside .

Let’s get the filling ready ..

2 large carrots , diced , then blanch for about 3 minutes , then set aside

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1 large onion , chopped

3/4 cup of all purpose flour

almost 5 cups of chicken broth

1/4 cup of heavy cream

salt and pepper

chicken

frozen peas

In a pot , or dutch oven , heat up the olive oil , then add onion , cook about 7-8 minutes on medium low heat , then add 3/4 cup of flour , cook for 2 minutes , keep stirring . Then add the chicken broth while whisking , it should started to get thick , and keep stirring until it boils , then add the salt pepper , heavy cream , chicken , and carrots and peas . Simmer for about 10-15 minutes , stirring often so it doesn’t stick on the bottom .

Let’s assemble it ..

In a big bowl or pie plate or ramekins ( which i used ) , add the filling in , then cover with the pie crust ( that has been rolled out and cut into the right size to cover the filling ) . Then brush with beaten egg and bake at 350 F for about an hour ( for pie plate ) , or 30 minutes for ramekins .