Chicken Pot Pie (from roux)

(pictured with no peas--no one in my family will eat them)

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

This is seriously the BEST chicken pot pie I have ever made. It was so good that Tyler and I ate until we were beyond full. He took some leftovers to work the next day and shared with a few coworkers. A single friend said he would pay me $25 to make him one. It is really that good!!

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (I used boneless, skinless)
3 TB olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
5 Cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (if store bought, get low-sodium)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 TB (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onion, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 Cup heavy cream
2 Cup medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 Cup minced fresh parsley leaves
(I added 2 cups cubed potatoes and blanched them with the carrots)

For the pastry:

3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 Cup vegetable shortening or LARD
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 TB water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large cubes. You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken.


3. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley(and potatoes). Mix well.


4. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coats with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To bake pot pies, preheat oven to 375.

Option 1: Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2 inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Option 2: Pour filling into a deep 9 x 13 casserole dish or two 9 x 13 shallow dishes. Roll dough out into a rectangle big enough to cover the dish. Place on top of filling. Brush the dough with egg wash and make a few slits. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Cook's Note: You can half this recipe, make all the filling and freeze it for later use, or make a dish to share with a neighbor :)