So, last week’s French toast and sausage was a big success. I decided to go double or nothing this week: chicken pot pie.
I more or less follow the New Basics approach, although I no longer actually use a recipe.
I start by cooking cut-up potatoes in a pot of cold water – put them all in together and let the water come up to a hard simmer, at which point the potatoes are done.
Once they are cooking I also chop up some chicken tenders into nice bite-sized pieces, and toss them in another pot full of water, with some salt and/or chicken bouillon, and a few bay leaves. This will cook at medium heat for 20 minutes or so, til the chicken is cooked through. I reserve the chicken and then strain the broth and reserve it, too. You want 3-4 cups.
While they are both cooking, I chop a carrot into thin slices, clean about 2 cups of sugar snap peas, and finely chop an onion.
Now I make a roux by heating equal parts oil/fat and flour. I cook this over medium-high heat for several minutes, until it just starts to color a little. Then toss the onions in to slow the cooking, and once they soften, I whisk in the broth and allow it all to meld and thicken in the roux. I am looking for stew-thickness here – not too thick since it will thicken further in the oven.
Add a big hit of pepper and salt, and a tablespoon of any herb you like (I like savory so I used it).
In a casserole, toss in the potatoes, carrots, peas, and chicken, then pour the thickened sauce over that to cover. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and let’s make the crust now!
I usually just roll out some packaged puff pastry and cover the casserole with that. This time, I wanted something more rustic. So I made biscuit dough – using my usual recipe that I shared a few weeks ago. As soon as I pat it out to the same size as my dish, I stuck a pizza peel under it and transfer it over the top of the dish and crimped it onto the edge of the dish. I sprayed the top with olive oil and cut several wee vents in the top with a paring knife (I just stab it a few times all over).
Into the oven on a baking sheet for 35 minutes. Rest it for ten minutes when it is done (the top should be lightly golden brown and nice and firmly set).
The pot pie tasted great, and it made us both think of chicken and dumplings, so in other words: serious comfort food, nostalgic and amazingly yumm.