Chicken Pot Pie
The humble meat pie is one of humanity’s oldest culinary inventions, with many variations across cultures. In Europe, Ancient Greeks and Romans encased bits of meat or fish in crust to cook. However, this crust often acted just as a cooking vessel for the meat inside, discarded after cooking [1]. In medieval times, meat pies became increasingly elaborate, particularly for the aristocracy [2]. As fine flours and fats became more widely available in the 15th and 16th centuries, the crust evolved from a disposable cooking container into an integral part of the dish.
Pot pies appear in the American culinary canon as early as the 18th century [3]. While in Britain many similar meat pies such as chicken and mushroom pie and steak and kidney pie remain popular, in America only the chicken pot pie has proven to have staying power. It is now regarded as an American classic.
Chicken pot pie was one of the first entrees to be sold in premade form, with the first frozen chicken pot pie arriving in 1951. Chicken pot pies are now commonly found in the frozen food aisle, and in school cafeterias. While many of us loved these premade pies as kids, they generally contain overcooked vegetables, little chicken, soggy crusts, and far too much salt. Fortunately, chicken pot pie is easy to make at home, and it can be much better than the pie in the cardboard box.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped
2 onions, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
6 oz green peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
4 tbsp butter
3 oz flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg
In keeping with the tradition of meat pies utilizing leftovers, I tend to use leftover roast chicken when I make chicken pot pie. Poached chicken also works well—whatever chicken you use, it should be fully cooked and cut into ¾ inch cubes (or shredded, if you prefer). If you don’t have leftover chicken on hand, cut up one 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken (thigh or breast) into cubes, and fry them in a pan until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, dicing the onions and carrots into ¼ inch pieces, chopping the celery to ¼ inch thickness, and mincing the garlic. When the butter is melted, add the onions and garlic. Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the onions begin to turn translucent, add the carrots and celery, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. This filling will cook again in the oven, so we want the vegetables to be slightly underdone when the filling is done cooking.
Now, we want to make a roux to thicken the gravy. Add the remaining butter to the pot and let it melt. Then add 3 oz (about 2/3rds of a cup) of flour to the pot and stir the flour into the fat. Cook, stirring, until the flour is no longer raw, which should take about 2 minutes.
Then add the chicken stock and milk to the pot, and stir vigorously and continuously. Bring the filling to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Stir in the cooked chicken, peas, and dried thyme, and remove the filling from the heat, seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. The residual heat in the pot should be sufficient to warm the chicken and peas. The filling can be made in advance, and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
Spoon the filling into oven-safe ramekins, and place the filled ramekins on a lined sheet pan. Depending on the size of your ramekins, you may find that this amount of filling can make more pies. It is important to let the filling cool before placing the puff pastry over it. Otherwise, the heat and steam will melt the butter in the pastry before it has a chance to rise. Let the filling in the ramekins cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before adding the pastry lid. Ideally, the filling will be close to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Roll out the puff pastry sheet to about ¼ inch thick, and, using an upside-down empty ramekin as a guide, cut four ramekin-shaped rounds of pastry. Save the remaining pastry for another application, or bake them alongside the pies for some extra crust. When the filling is cool, lay pastry over each ramekin, pressing down on the edges where the crust meets the ramekin. A neat crimp is not important, as the puff pastry expands.
To glaze the pastry lids, beat an egg until it forms a smooth egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the top of each pie. Using the tip of a butter knife, make several small holes in each pie, allowing steam from the filling to escape.
Bake the pies for 15 minutes at 425° F. Then turn the oven down to 400° F, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is fully puffed and golden brown. Remove the pies from the oven. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
Leftover roast turkey works great in this dish. Feel free to substitute or add other vegetables, such as corn, potatoes, broccoli, or mushrooms. To make a vegetarian version, substitute mushrooms for the chicken and vegetable stock for chicken stock.
Substitute or add other herbs to your taste—tarragon, rosemary, and bay can all complement the flavor of this pie well. If you want to use bay leaves, add them with the carrots and celery, and remove them from the filling before distributing it. Tarragon and other edible herbs can be stirred in with the thyme.
[1] A thick crust helps meat cook evenly and stay moist, resulting in a more gentle cook, especially when the heat source is variable (as a fire would be).
[2] In medieval times, meat pies were called “coffins,” because an animal was encased inside.
[3] A recipe for chicken pot pie appears in American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, the first American cookbook, which was published in 1796.
Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 45 min Total Time: 1 hr 35 min
(+40 min inactive)
Difficulty: 2/5
Heat Sources: oven, 1 burner
Equipment: pot, ramekins, sheet pan, rolling pin, basting brush
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped
2 onions, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
6 oz green peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
4 tbsp butter
3 oz flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg
vegetable oil
Instructions
1. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the diced onions and minced garlic to the pot. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften.
2. Add the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining butter to the pot and let it melt, then add the flour to form a roux. Stir the flour into the butter and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add in the chicken stock and milk and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously. Continue simmering for 5 minutes, until the filling thickens.
5. Stir in the cooked chicken, peas, and thyme, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spoon the filling into ramekins, and place them on a lined sheet pan. Let the filling cool for at least 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Roll out the puff pastry to about ¼ inch thick, and cut it into the shape of your ramekins.
8. When the filling is cool, lay the pastry over the ramekins. Beat the egg to make an egg wash, and brush the egg onto the top of each pie. Using the tip of a knife, make several steam vents in each pie.
9. Bake the pies for 15 minutes at 425° F. Then decrease the heat to 400° F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the pies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the pies cool for 10 minutes before serving.
