Chicken Pot Pie

Yesterday my dad bought S & R’s (local Costco equivalent) roasted chicken. No one ate it so I decided to recycle it.

First I took all the meat from the bones and separated the dark and white meat. Then I took the bones threw it in a pot and added 1 carrot cut into 3 pieces, 1/2 onion, quartered and a celery stalk with the leaves, cut in half and put in water just enough to cover it. Boil and simmer til you have soup. Don’t forget to season with salt & pepper to taste. I used the soup to make chicken lugaw (congee) and added the dark meat. It was very, very good.

Next I used the white meat to make chicken pot pie. I based it on the recipe by Martha Stewart (see below). I used some shortcuts to finish the entire pie including baking in 30 minutes.

I used the puff pastry crust I bought from Santi’s.

I used canned broth instead of making it from scratch like Martha. I used 1 can only.

I sauteed the onions and potatoes in equal parts of butter and olive oil. Then I added the carrots, celery, leeks and mushroom.

When the veggies are tender add 5 Tablespoons of flour. If needed add some more olive oil. Cook for 1 minute to avoid the raw taste of flour.

Next add low fat milk and broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes til thick and bubbly. If it’s too thick you may add more milk or broth. If it’s too thin you can add cornstarch slurry (disolve some cornstarch in equal amounts of water)
Add 2 tablespoons thyme, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and ground pepper. This is where I made a mistake. Martha’s recipe said 2 T fresh thyme. I only had dried thyme so I put in 1 Tablespoon. It was still too much. 1 teaspoon would have been better.

Add the chicken to the mixture

Transfer to an oven safe container and top with the crust and bake til the crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

The puff pastry is good and flaky. The filling is very flavorful except for the strong scent of thyme. The touch of lemon zest is not very apparent but it adds a light zing to the dish. I would make this recipe again.

Chicken Potpie by Martha Stewart

1 three-to four-pound chicken
4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock
1 large yellow onion, cut in half
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 rib celery, cut into thirds
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) + 7 tablespoons butter
2 large egg yolks
9 ounces potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium leek, white and light-green parts only, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and washed
2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
6 ounces button mushrooms, quartered if large
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. Combine chicken, chicken stock, yellow onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, 3 thyme sprigs, and celery in a stockpot, and add enough water just to cover the chicken. Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

2. Pick enough thyme leaves to make 3 tablespoons. Combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon thyme leaves in the bowl of a food processor, and set remaining 2 tablespoons thyme aside. Add 10 tablespoons chilled butter cut into small pieces, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. While the food processor is running, add 3 tablespoons ice water and 1 egg yolk, and process until the dough holds together. Turn dough onto plastic wrap, flatten into circle, and wrap well; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Drain chicken, and reserve the stock. Remove the skin from the chicken, and remove all the chicken from the carcass. Shred the chicken into bite-size strips, and set aside. Strain the stock, and set aside 2 cups.

4. Preheat oven to 375º. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add red potatoes and pearl onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add leeks, carrots, and mushrooms, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in reserved chicken stock and milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved chicken pieces, parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons thyme, lemon zest, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and the ground pepper; transfer to a large casserole dish.

5. Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick, and transfer to a baking sheet. Allow to chill 15 minutes. Make an egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining yolk and heavy cream. Working quickly, place the dough over the top of the chicken mixture, and tuck extra dough around the edges. Cut slits on top to allow steam to escape. Brush with the egg wash, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.