Chicken Pot Pie

Since December, the weather has been rather cool and rainy. Having a warm chicken pot pie seems like the ideal way to fill up an empty tummy on a cold day.

Chicken Pot Pie – makes 10 ramekins

Filling

1200g  chicken (a whole chicken or chicken thighs)
3 tbsps olive oil
pinch of salt (to taste)
ground pepper (to taste)
500g potatoes, dice
500g carrots, dice
10 crimini mushrooms (cut into eighths)
1 medium onion diced mango
pinch of salt (to taste)

Beautiful vegetables all diced and ready

Love how simple herbs added flavours to the chicken thighs

Method – Roast the chicken and vegetables

1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Rub the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Season under the skin with salt and pepper.  If using a whole chicken, set it upside down in a large flameproof roasting pan.  If using chicken thighs, arrange them in a single layer in a large flameproof roasting pan.
4. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, mushrooms, herbs, and a dash of salt and pepper together.
5. Spread the vegetables around the chicken in the roasting pan.  Roast the chicken and vegetables for 1 hour 30 mins, giving the vegetables a stir every 15 minutes or so.  Remove the chicken and  the vegetables from the pan.
6. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones.  Save the skin and bones if you are making your own chicken stock . Chop the meat into chunks.

Sauce

1 litre  chicken stock (homemade or low-salt packet)
6 tbsps unsalted butter
6 tbsps flour 0g whipping cream
4 tbsps cooking cream
pinch of salt (to taste)
ground pepper (to taste)

Method  – the sauce

1. If you have grease and juices in your roasting pan, separate the fat from the juices.  Add enough butter to total 6 tablespoons.
2. Place the roasting pan (with all of the browned bits and goodies) on the stove over medium heat.
3. Melt the fats until bubbling.  Add the cooking cream and flour at once and stir constantly to make a smooth roux.
4. Keep stirring until the roux turns a golden brown (~ 5 minutes).
5. Pour in the chicken stock and juices.  Let it come to a boil, all the while stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavourful fond (the browned bits).
6. Cook until the sauce has reduced to a gravy consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add more herbs to taste.

Puff Pastry

1200g puff pastry  (homemade or from the store, I made mine)
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for greasing the ramekins)

Egg Wash

1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp cooking cream

Method – The pot pies

1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Butter ten 8-pounce ramekins. Roll the puff pastry out to 1/8-inch thickness.  Line each ramekin with a single layer of puff pastry dough, up to the rim.
3. Gently press the pastry dough together to seal seams or cover holes so that the entire ramekin is completely lined. Cut out 10 circles of puff pastry dough (to be used as covers) just slightly larger than the diameter of the top of the ramekin.
4. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, vegetables, and sauce well together.
5. Spoon the filling into each ramekin until even with the lip.Set one circle of dough on each ramekin and press the edges of the dough circle together with the lining pastry to form a tight seal.
6. Pinch the edges, fold over and pinch again (just to prevent leakage).  Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the tops of each pie to release steam during baking.
7. Mix the egg yolk and cream together, then brush the egg wash over each pie.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C or until the tops are deep golden in colour and puffed up.
9. Remove from heat and let cool.  Carefully run a sharp knife along the edge of each pie to ensure proper release from the ramekins.  They should come out easily.  Makes 10.

Discovered that this is the best way to get my little one to take in more meat

The flaky layered crust just complete this pastry

With the flaky, buttery puff pastry and the creamy filling, the chicken pot pies made our days.

A great lunch we had to curb the gloomy mood.