Use the recipe for Rough Pastry to finish this recipe off. It is amazing.
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- for the sauce:
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 3-lb chicken
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- 2 cups potato chunks (1 to 2 medium peeled potatoes; i prefer yukon gold)
- 24 pearl onions peeled and left whole
- 2 cups carrot chunks (2 to 3 medium carrots), peeled, 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- 8 mushrooms halved or quartered
- 2 tbs. assorted fresh herbs chopped, (parsley, rosemary, thyme); more to taste
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
- 4 cups chicken stock (homemade or low-salt canned)
- 6 tbs. butter (as needed)
- 6 tbs. flour
- for the pastry
- 1 rough puff pastry for chicken pot pie refrigerated
- for the egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk beaten
- Carbohydrate 77.874579160619 g
- Cholesterol 270.265 mg
- Fat 71.4917749999223 g
- Fiber 11.4661252003954 g
- Protein 59.9427874991813 g
- Saturated Fat 24.9293222499877 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1188g)
- Sodium 758.538166666508 mg
- Sugar 66.4084539602236 g
- Trans Fat 4.94782974997423 g
- Calories 1189 calories
Step-by-step
- To roast the chicken and vegetables Heat the oven to 375F. Rub the chicken with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and sprinkle generously, inside and out, with salt and pepper.
- Toss the potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and mushrooms with the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil and the chopped herbs.
- Set the chicken upside down in a large flameproof roasting pan and scatter the vegetables around the chicken. Roast for 1 hour and 15 min., stirring the vegetables several times.
- Remove the chicken from the pan to cool. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and reserve them in a bowl, with the peas. Don't rinse out the roasting pan.
- To make the sauce Pour the fat and juices into a measuring cup or gravy separator. Spoon or pour the fat away from the juice; reserve the fat. Add the juices to the chicken stock. Measure out the fat and add enough butter (if needed) to make 6 Tbs.
- Put the roasting pan (which should still have the caramelized bits from the chicken and vegetables) on the stove over medium heat. Pour in the 6 Tbs. of fat and butter mixture; when it's melted and bubbling, add the flour and stir constantly to make a smooth roux. Scrape up any caramelized remains from the chicken and vegetables. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 5 min. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer. Continue to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook the sauce for at least 15 min., whisking occasionally, until it's as thick as heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, and more herbs to taste.
- When the chicken has cooled, pull the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Cut the meat into small (1/2- to 1-inch ) chunks and set aside.
- To assemble the pot pies Heat the oven to 400F. Choose four 12-oz. ovenproof bowls or a 2-qt. casserole.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Lay it on a floured board and roll it out 1/8 inch thick into a 20x16-inch rectangle. Set the dish for the pot pie upside down on the dough and cut around the rim with a knife or pastry cutter. (If you like extra pastry, cut the pastry a little larger than the top of the dish.) Stack the pastry pieces on a plate, separating each with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Divide the chicken, vegetables, and sauce among the dishes. Lay the pastry on top, pressing along the edge of the dish to seal.
- To make the egg wash Blend the egg yolk and cream. Brush the mixture onto the pastry with a pastry brush.
- Put the pies on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake on the center rack in the 400F oven for 50 to 55 min., or until the crust is thoroughly browned and puffed. Steam will escape along the edges of the pastry.
A list of components rarely reveals the heavy lifting required to transform raw poultry and garden produce into a cohesive sauce. Without roasting the whole bird and its accompanying root vegetables simultaneously, the fond left behind in the pan lacks the concentrated depth necessary to anchor a rich cream gravy. Starting with a raw bird yields both the meat and the rendering fat required to build a traditional roux directly in the roasting pan at a medium heat setting.
Fresh Versus Preserved Elements
Using fresh Yukon Gold potatoes and whole pearl onions alters the moisture balance significantly compared to convenience alternatives. Frozen vegetables release excessive water as they thaw inside a simmering sauce, which dilutes the roux and leaves the filling watery rather than viscous. Raw carrots and whole mushrooms must roast alongside the chicken for one hour and fifteen minutes so their natural sugars caramelize before they ever touch the liquid. When substituting fresh peas for frozen ones, add them at the very end of the vegetable retrieval step to preserve their bright color and avoid mushy textures.
Assessing Doneness and Construction
Baking individual twelve-ounce bowls or a single two-quart casserole requires careful visual observation rather than a probe thermometer. Brushing the rolled pastry with an egg yolk and cream wash guarantees deep browning during the final fifty to fifty-five minutes in a 400F oven. Watch for steam escaping actively along the edges of the ceramic rim, which signals that the internal filling has reached a rolling simmer beneath the puffed, golden crust.
