Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie. Sometimes I like to make something special from something ordinary. This chicken pot pie becomes an elegant lunch in a matter of minutes. The puff pastry is so light and flaky...a great compliment to the creamy chicken pot pie. I used my own puff pastry recipe, but you can also just as easily use store-bought. This recipe is really just my own simple version of chicken pot pie. I like to stir fry my chicken pieces to bring out a deeper flavor...rather than just boiling it. I chose to use simple and basic vegetables, carrots, onions, celery, peas, potatoes and a bit of garlic (for flavor). You can choose to use any vegetables you prefer. Try using mushrooms and corn. But, this is my version.
Chicken Pot Pie. Sometimes I like to make something special from something ordinary. This chicken pot pie becomes an elegant lunch in a matter of minutes. The puff pastry is so light and flaky...a great compliment to the creamy chicken pot pie. I used my own puff pastry recipe, but you can also just as easily use store-bought. This recipe is really just my own simple version of chicken pot pie. I like to stir fry my chicken pieces to bring out a deeper flavor...rather than just boiling it. I chose to use simple and basic vegetables, carrots, onions, celery, peas, potatoes and a bit of garlic (for flavor). You can choose to use any vegetables you prefer. Try using mushrooms and corn. But, this is my version.
- 1 salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 chicken breast chunks + 2tsp oil for stir frying
- 2/3 cup diced carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1 cup celery diced, (about 2 ribs)
- 1/3 cup diced ham (this is optional)
- 1 cup onion diced (about 1/2 large onion)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cups potatoes diced (about 4 medium potatoes)
- 4 tbsp flour (up to 5)
- 1 cup peas
- 1 tsp thyme
- puff pastry (homemade or store-bought) for crust
- 1 egg beaten, for glaze
- Carbohydrate 182.781597124401 g
- Cholesterol 76.0900000032461 mg
- Fat 12.4719560021006 g
- Fiber 31.9982807957996 g
- Protein 38.4793860156813 g
- Saturated Fat 2.52012700107284 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1899g)
- Sodium 422.654700071045 mg
- Sugar 150.783316328601 g
- Trans Fat 1.3345115003936 g
- Calories 953 calories
Step-by-step
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Stir fry in 2 tsp oil till nicely browned. Set aside.
- In a medium size soup pot on med/low add 2 tsp oil. Add onion cook till almost tender. Add celery , carrots and ham(if using).
- Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Sprinkle 2-3 TBS of flour and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add potatoes and water until the potatoes are just covered with water. Add bay leaf.
- Lower heat to low. Cook ten minutes covered. ...stir every so often so that it won't get burned at the bottom. After ten minutes or so add the chicken. Cover and cook till potatoes are tender. Uncover and remove bay leaf. Add milk. Make a slurry of 2 TBS flour plus some water(about 3-4 TBS water) . Stir it in the soup.
- Cook for an additional 5 minutes or so until thickened. If it is too thin, make a bit more slurry or cook down further until desired thickness. Adjust seasoning. Add peas. Ladle into soup bowls.
- Press a piece of puff pastry on top. You can cut out a small circle in the middle of the puff pastry...so that the steam will escape. You can brush the puff pastry with beaten egg for a shiny golden color.
- Bake at 400 till nicely browned...approx 15-20 minutes. Just watch so that it doesn't burn. Really you just want the puff pastry to bake...everything else is cooked already.
Why Uniform Vegetable Cuts Dictate Success
Uniformity dictates whether the filling cooks evenly. Dicing potatoes to a consistent half-inch cube ensures they soften during the 10-minute simmer alongside the celery and carrots. Cutting root vegetables too large leaves hard centers inside an over-thickened sauce, while irregular pieces cause uneven starch breakdown. Cooking aromatics gently in oil before adding liquid develops foundation flavors without burning the garlic.
Managing Starch and Moisture in the Filling
Flour raw-cooked directly with fat creates a roux that thickens the pot, but adding a secondary flour and water slurry prevents scorching at the bottom of the pot. Milk introduced late provides dairy solids that brown under heat, though too much liquid collapses the structural integrity of the sauce. Simmering the mixture until it coats the back of a spoon ensures the filling stays inside the bowl rather than leaking out when the pastry is pierced.
Achieving Flakiness with High Heat
Baking at 400 degrees Fahrenheit forces water trapped between the laminated layers of puff pastry to convert rapidly to steam, creating the signature rise. Brushing the dough with a beaten egg wash before baking adds proteins that react with heat to yield a deep golden-brown sheen. Cutting a small central vent in the pastry sheet allows interior steam to escape, preventing the crust from sogging from underneath during the 15 to 20 minutes in the oven.
