Homemade Chicken Potpie

Photo: Kendra Nordin

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, sliced

4 tablespoons cold water

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) un salted butter

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup peeled and diced carrot

1 tablespoon olive oil

10 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 pound cooked chicken meat, diced

1 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk or cream

Preparation

To make the dough:

Place the butter pieces in a bowl and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Chill the water in a measuring cup until needed.

Pour the flour into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the bowl with a knife or pastry cutter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. (You can also use a hand mixer or a food processor to do this.) Sprinkle the water into the dough a little at a time and mix it using a rounded-edge knife. The dough should incorporate all the flour, but it shouldn’t be wet and sticky.

Turn to dough onto a floured work surface and knead gently three to six times. Flatten the dough into a 6- or 7-inch circle, wrap in plastic or parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to hydrate and the butter to firm up.

Return the chilled dough to the floured work surface and roll it out, until you have a 14- to 15-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and chill until ready to use.

For the filling:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion, celery and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in flour. Return to heat and continue to whisk for 2 or 3 minutes (do not let the flour brown).

Remove pan from heat and add about 1 cup of the stock and whisk until mixture is smooth and pastelike. Whisk in the remaining stock. Add carrots, and return to heat, simmering for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a separate pan and sautée mushrooms over high heat until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms, chicken, peas, chives, parsley, and thyme to the filling. Add salt and pepper, to taste. If the mixture seems too soupy, simmer until it thickens. It should be more stewlike than souplike.

Set the saucepan into the bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until it cools (this is so the filling doesn’t soften the dough too much when it is placed on top). Pour cooled filling into the 9-inch pie pan.

Drape the dough over the top of the filling, rolling the edges to form a thick rope along the edge of the pan. Crimp or form a decorative border as desired. Any leftover pie dough can be used to make a decorative design (like my flower!).

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk and use a pastry brush to light glaze the surface of the pie.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown and crisp.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, in wide shallow bowls.