So close to the ones mom used to make its scarey....
Chicken Pot Pie
This recipe for old-fashioned chicken pot pie is an adaptation of one in James Beard's American Cookery (Little, Brown; 1980). This recipe originally appeared in the September/October 1995 issue of SAVEUR, and it's still one of our favorites.
Credit: Christopher Hirsheimer
1 3–4-lb. chicken
1 pint pearl onions, blanched and peeled
2 carrots, peeled and cut in 1⁄2" slices
1⁄2 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut in 1" dice
1⁄4 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1⁄4 lb. white mushrooms, quartered
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄2 tsp. Tabasco
1 recipe Pot Pie Pastry
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp. water
1. Chop enough parsley to fill 1⁄4 cup; set aside. Place remaining parsley, chicken, and half the onions in a large pot with water to cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Remove chicken; cool. Pull off meat in like-size pieces; place in a large bowl. Return bones to pot; simmer 1 hour. Strain stock; return to pot over medium heat. Cook carrots, potatoes, sugar snaps, and remaining onions in stock, in batches, just until tender, adding as cooked to chicken.
2. Preheat oven to 450°. Cook garlic and mushrooms in 1 tbsp. of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add to chicken mixture. In the same skillet, melt remaining 3 tbsp. butter and sprinkle in flour. Stir constantly over medium heat, 2–3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock until thickened. Remove from heat and add cream. Add chopped parsley, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Gently stir sauce into chicken mixture.
3. Prepare pastry. Line a 9" pan with pastry, fill with chicken mixture, and cover with top pastry. Crimp edges, cut a vent in top, and brush with egg wash. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, and continue baking until crust is browned, about 35 minutes.
SERVES 6 – 8
Ratings & Reviews (3)
My mother's chicken pot pie has always been a personal fave. Since I do not have the luxury of having her make it for me any more, I tried this one. I tweeked the ingredients a bit to make it more like hers. I followed the recipe almost exactly except I left out the heavy cream (and made a little more gravy), substituted the sugar snap peas for frozen peas and corn, and replaced tabasco with Thyme (so un-Louisianian of me). I also just dissolved a boullion cube in about two cups of the water I used to boil the chicken. I must say, I am very happy with my decisions. It came out similiar to my mom's, but I liked the addition of peal onions, mushrooms, and garlic (which she never used).
This was scrumptious and hearty - a definite addition to my recipe arsenal! The only bone I had to pick was the inclusion of mushrooms - something I am not accustomed to in pot pies, but to remedy that, I simply left them out. I could take or leave the addition of hot sauce, but recommend using one like Crystal instead of Tabasco, since it carries more flavor.
Chicken Pot Pie
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