Butter and Sugar

I think that pot pies are so homey and comforting to have in the winter.  They are a little time consuming but really worth it.  Chicken pot pies are J’s favorite.  I am kind of indifferent to chicken, but I just added mushrooms to this and all was well in the world.   It may be a little strange but the frozen peas in this were also really good.  Have frozen peas always been so delicious, and I didn’t know it?  The best part of pot pies are of course the crust.  Next time I make these, I would probably drape a little more pastry over the sides even though it is a little decadent with all that butter.

For the crust, I used Martha Stewart’s trusty pate brisee recipe. You can find it here.

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken breasts
4 diced yukon gold potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove chopped garlic
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sherry
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp fresh dill
2 tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper
olive oil

You will need 5-6 heat proof bowls

Boil lightly salted water in a medium sized pot.  Boil the potatoes until they are slightly tender but not fully cooked.  Reserve the potatoes and poach the chicken. Dice the chicken and reserve.

In a large pot heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil, saute one onion until it is translucent, add carrots, celery. Saute until the vegetables are slightly tender, add the mushrooms and garlic.  Add the butter and cook until melted and add the flour. Stir to coat the vegetables. The mixture will thicken quickly, add the sherry and stir.  Add the chicken stock, potatoes, chicken, bay leaves and frozen peas and salt and pepper. Heat through and bring to a simmer. Stir in the fresh herbs and cream. Turn off the heat add allow it to cool before ladling into the heat proof bowls.

Roll out the pastry dough and cut into circles at least 1/2 inch larger than the bowl’s circumference.  Brush the sides of the bowl with egg wash and place the dough over the top.  Make a few slits in the top for heat to escape. Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg wash and bake at 375 until it is golden brown.