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Chicken Potpie

Source of Recipe

From "Williams Sonoma: Cooking at Home" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"Chicken potpie is one of the all-time great comfort foods. For this version, chicken, carrots, peas, corn, and shallots are combined in a thickened sauce of chicken broth, white wine, and half-and-half, then topped with pie pastry and baked to perfection."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 cup sliced carrots
◦ 1 cup shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
◦ 1 cup corn kernels (from 2 to 3 ears)
◦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦ 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, about 1 � pounds total weight, cut into bite-size pieces
◦ 2 tablespoons minced shallot
◦ � cup all-purpose flour
◦ 1 � cups chicken broth
◦ � cup dry white wine
◦ � cup half-and-half
◦ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
◦ Salt and ground pepper
◦ 1 egg yolk
◦ Pie Pastry (recipe follows), rolled out into a 9-inch round


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400� F. Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil. Using a pasta insert or large sieve, immerse the carrots and peas in the water and boil until tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Lift out, drain, and transfer to a bowl. Repeat to cook the corn in the same pan of water, boiling it for just 1 minute. Set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Stir in the broth, wine, half-and-half, and parsley and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots, peas, and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish.

Beat the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Brush some of the egg yolk mixture in a 1-inch border around the edge of the pastry round. Place the round, egg side down, over the filling, and press the dough to the rim of the dish. Trim off any overhanging dough and brush the top surface lightly with the remaining egg yolk mixture. Cut two or three slits in the center of the top of the pie with the tip of a knife.

Place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings






❧ Pie Pastry:

"To make a tender, flaky crust, follow these three rules: don't overmix the fat and flour, add water just until the dough holds together when pinched, and keep it cold. You can substitute shortening for the butter, or use equal parts of both."

◦ 1 � cups all-purpose flour
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ � cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
◦ 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Food-processor method: In a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse a few times to mix. Scatter the butter over the top, then pulse until you have a mix of small, irregular flakes and crumbs and bits of butter the size of peas. Add 2 tablespoons of the water and pulse about five times. Add 1 more tablespoon water and pulse three or four times. Stop and feel the dough; it should be just damp enough to form a rough mass. If necessary, add more water by teaspoons, pulsing once or twice after each addition. The total mixing time should be less than 1 minute. Do not mix until the dough forms a ball. It should remain a rough, shaggy mass.

Hand method: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt and toss with a fork to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and toss to coat. With your fingertips, two knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in the water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring and tossing with a fork after each addition until evenly moist. Stop adding water once the dough comes together into a rough, shaggy mass.

Chilling the dough: Remove the dough from the food processor or bowl. With lightly floured hands, gently shape the dough into a smooth disk. The dough may be rolled out and used right away. Or, for easier rolling, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.

To roll out pie pastry: Lightly dust a work surface, the dough, and the rolling pin with flour. Place the dough in the center of the surface. Rolling from the center toward the edges and in all directions, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a round 2 to 3 inches larger than your pie dish or pan. Using a bench scraper or offset spatula, lift and turn the dough several times as you roll to prevent sticking. Dust the work surface and the rolling pin with flour as needed to prevent sticking.

To transfer the pastry to a pie pan: Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin, brushing off the excess flour with a pastry brush. Position the rolling pin over a pie pan or dish. Unroll the dough and center it in the dish. Gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan or dish, taking care not to pull or stretch it.

Makes enough dough for one single-crust pie







❧ After making the pastry dough, let it rest in the refrigerator. This makes it easier to roll out and helps prevent shrinkage in the heat of the oven. For the simplest cleanup, roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper. If you are pressed for time, use purchased, pre-rolled pie pastry.