Classic Chicken Pot Pie from Fine Cooking Magazine, April 2011

The gauntlet has officially been picked up. If you know Fine Cooking Magazine at all, you know about their Classic / Classic Update series. In it, the present two recipes; one that is a classic, like a Classic Chicken Pot Pie, and a second that has been updated to a more modern affair, say, Chicken Pot Pie with Fennel and Mushrooms in a Potato Bowl.

I love these things. They challenge the heck out of me, especially the updated version. If you don't believe me, just wait until you see me try to pipe a mashed potato bowl.

That, however, has to wait because today is all about classics. A classic that should include a flaky, tender crust, chunks of perfectly cooked chicken, the vegetable bounty of carrots, peas, mushrooms and more, a creamy flavorful gravy and the perfect balance of seasonings.

Much as I hate to admit it, any pot pie that really delivers does so with the gravy. And in order to have a great gravy, levels of flavor need to be developed. It's obvious that Chef Abigail Johnson Dodge, the developer of this recipe, knows that because she begins with searing the chicken in a Dutch oven, which not only gives better flavor to the chicken, but leaves all kinds of little bits of goodness in the bottom of the pan. Layer level one.

Once the chicken has been seared, it is removed, chopped and put in a bowl. In its place in the pot go the quartered mushrooms, where they are cooked until soft, leaving a second layer of flavor behind as they join the chicken in the bowl. A little more oil,. then the carrots, onions and garlic are added (the garlic goes in a little later than the first two since it cooks quickly). They have a chance to cook and caramelize and then are scraped into the bowl. Can you just imagine the good stuff sitting in the bottom of that Dutch oven by now?

I hope you can because it's time to build the gravy. It all starts with a roux (fancy French word for melted butter and flour stirred together well).  With a roux and a whisk you can create a lumpless, perfect gravy. This one is. After the roux is made, chicken broth and half-and-half are slowly poured in while the whisk never stops making sure that the liquids fully incorporate the butter/flour mixture until it's a creamy gravy. When that's done, diced potatoes and the contents of the bowl are added in. It's brought to a simmer and cooked for about 20 minutes.

I failed to mention the crust, didn't I? I had made that earlier in the day since it needs at least 2 hours in the refrigerator prior to rolling out. It's a simple combination of flour, salt, butter and water that's made in a food processor. It came together perfectly and was wrapped in plastic in the fridge while I cooked the innards of the pie.

It's at this point that I left the house to take Dudette to Tae Kwon Do and left Hubby in charge to finish the last step, which was to add parsley, thyme, dry sherry and Dijon mustard to the pot after the 20 minutes were up, giving it a good stir to mix it in well. Was I nervous? No. Ok, yes. But, I did leave everything exactly measured out on the counter. Except the mustard. I told him to just add a blob's worth. That sounds like a tablespoon, right? Then, all he needed to do was turn off the stove and leave it alone.

You expect disaster, don't you? Sorry, but sometimes the endings are good in these stories. When we returned home, I tasted the stuff we had wrought, added a bit of salt and pepper and deemed it very good. I rolled out my dough, ladled the chicken mixture into bowls, added my crust, made the X in the center and put it all in the oven (on a baking sheet, mind you....no scraping gunk off the bottom of the oven for this lady).

Forty minutes later, dinner was ready. But not really. The instructions say to let the pies sit for at least 20 minutes after taking them out of the oven. We were hungry. We didn't wait. We should have. The pies are hot. The gravy is runny. It needs time to cool a bit and set up.  It's still delicious, but after waiting a bit it was even better. Just about spectacular even.
The crust is so very flaky and delicious. I was appalled to see Hubby mix his in with the rest of the stew. It's so not the way I eat pot pie. I savor ever bite of crust, eating a little here and there with some of the meat or vegetables. Speaking of meat and vegetables, both were perfectly done. The gravy was divine; full of flavor, just the right consistency (after waiting the 20 minutes) and delicious. This was a winner.

Classic update; you're next.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie
from Fine Cooking Magazine


For the crust:

9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. table salt
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

For the filling:

5 tablespoons olive oil
2-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb. medium cremini mushrooms, quartered (2 cups)
1-1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed and patted dry
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch-thick (1-1/2 cups)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 oz. (4 tablespoons)  unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
1-3/4 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (5 cups)
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Make the crust:
Put the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of peas, 10 to 12 pulses. Drizzle 3 Tbs. cold water over the mixture. Pulse until the dough forms moist crumbs that are just beginning to clump together, 8 or 9 pulses more.

Turn the crumbs onto a large piece of plastic wrap and gather into a pile. With the heel of your hand, gently smear the dough away from you until the crumbs come together (two or three smears should do it). Shape the dough into a 4-inch square, wrap tightly in the plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Make the filling:
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, brown the chicken well on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side, adding 1 tablespoon oil with the second batch. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces (it?s fine if the chicken isn?t fully cooked; it will finish cooking later). Put the chicken in a large bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl of chicken.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and then the onions and carrots to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are browned, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Scrape the vegetables into the bowl of chicken and mushrooms.

Melt the butter in the same pot over low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the texture, which will be clumpy at first, loosens and smooths out, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the potatoes, chicken, and vegetables (and any accumulated juice), and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently (adjusting the heat as necessary), stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in the peas, sherry, parsley, thyme, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble the pot pies
Distribute the filling evenly among six ovenproof bowls or ramekins that are 2 to 3 inches deep and hold at least 2 cups.

Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature, about 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. With a round cookie cutter (or using a plate as a guide), cut 6 dough circles that are slightly wider than the inner diameter of the bowls (re-roll the scraps if necessary). Cut one small X in the center of each circle.

Top each bowl of stew with a dough round. With your fingertips, gently press the dough down into the edge of the stew, so that it flares up the sides of the bowl.

Bake the pies
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Put the pot pies on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the crust is deep golden-brown, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead Tips
The dough for the crust can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 1 hour before rolling. The filling can be prepared through the step of adding the peas and seasonings, cooled and refrigerated for up to 8 hours. The pot pies can be assembled and refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 day before baking and serving.