New Chicken Pot Pie Recipe in the Old House

  Yes, before you go wondering, we are in our new home. I am in seventh heaven. There is room to move about without bumping into (running over) each other. We are still setting up house though. There is still alot to be done. We are back online (service transfer) and ready to start posting again. To everyone out there reading this, we've missed you. We'll be getting around to see what you've all been up to lately, reading your posts a little each day. There's still so much to unpack and sort, it'll take us a while to get the house in living "order".

  For this post,I am giving you our "last meal" from "last week" in the "old house". I will be making this version of Bon Appetit's Chicken Pot Pie from now on. This was absolutely the best chicken pot pie I have ever had. It will be my go to recipe until I find one that can top it. The next time I make this I hope to be able to find chanterelle mushrooms at my grocery store.

My shortcuts. Pre-cooked leftover chicken and boxed phyllo dough.

Impressively delicious.

Chicken Pot Pie with Chanterelles

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine September 2009

Ingredients

CHICKEN
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
16 cups water, divided
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups ice cubes
1 5- to 5 1/2-pound whole chicken (preferably organic), rinsed, patted dry

POT PIE FILLING
1/3 cup milk
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 pounds chanterelles or other wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped (didn't have-used porcini)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled carrots
3 cups 1/2-inch pieces leeks (about 3; white and pale green parts only)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled white-skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth (I used homemade)
1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil (optional)
Chicken-Fat Puff Pastry (used the boxed phyllo dough)


SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
6 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes


CHICKEN
Heat oil in large deep pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; sauté until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns; stir 2 minutes. Add 8 cups water, 1/2 cup coarse salt, and sugar; bring to simmer, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat. Add remaining 8 cups water and 4 cups ice cubes. Let stand until brine is cooled completely. Submerge chicken in brine; cover and chill at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove chicken from brine. Rinse chicken and pat dry; place in roasting pan. Sprinkle chicken with pepper; roast until cooked through and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Transfer chicken to platter; cool slightly. Spoon fat from roasting pan into small container. Cover; freeze fat until firm; reserve for puff pastry. Discard skin and bones. Tear chicken meat into large bite-size pieces; reserve for filling. DO AHEAD Chicken fat and chicken pieces can be made 1 day ahead. Keep fat frozen. Cover and chill chicken.

POT PIE FILLING
Combine milk and garlic in small saucepan; simmer 2 minutes. Remove garlic from milk and chop finely; discard milk. Whisk 1/3 cup water and cornstarch in small bowl to blend; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to same pot; add carrots, leeks, and potatoes and sauté until beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and thyme; stir 2 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Rewhisk cornstarch mixture and add to vegetable mixture; stir until broth boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, mushrooms, peas, and cream; simmer uncovered until heated through and mixture has consistency of stew, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is too thick, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in truffle oil, if desired. Divide pot pie filling among six 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes. DO AHEAD Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Top each pot pie with 1 baked puff pastry round. Bake pot pies until filling is heated through, about 15 minutes if warm or at room temperature and 25 minutes if chilled.

Notes/Results: I must be honest here. I used some leftover herb roasted chicken and this was still magnificent. I also reduced the recipe to half and that filled 2 of the 2 cup ramekins alone.

*Also the lemon juice is not in the photo, though I can follow directions and did use it in the recipe as required. 

I am submitting this to Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice for Magazine Mondays .

 

Well folks, I'm off to go do some more unpacking and sorting. Until next time, have some fun in the kitchen.

Carla and Michael