Chicken Pie and Puff Pastry

Ingredients

5 chicken thighs (use any piece you like – just equal amount)

2 celery stalks

4 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves

1 onion

6 quarts of water

Salt and pepper per tastes

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 cup reserved chicken stock

2 tbs flour

2 tbs butter

1 puff pastry crust – room temp

1 beaten egg

Preparation

Place first 7 ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to boil on the stove top over medium high heat. Boil until the chicken is falling apart when lifted with a fork. Remove from the heat and allow to cool enough that you are able to safely handle the chicken. Dip the chicken from the stock with a large slotted spoon and reserve the stock. Pull the skin and bones from the chicken, shred the chicken into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 450. Press the pie crust into the bottom of a deep pie plate. Pinch along the edges. Scatter the shredded chicken into the pie crust. Pour the 1 cup of stock over the chicken. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken according to taste. Cut the butter into small pea size pieces and place around the dish.

Unfold the pastry crust, cut a hole in the center of the crust. Paint the beaten egg around the rim of the pie dish. Place the pastry crust on top of the chicken. Pinch the pastry crust onto the pie crust edges. Paint the top of the pastry crust with the beaten egg.

Bake at 450 x 20 minutes and then 375 for an hour. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving so that the juices will congeal.