Chicken Pot Pie - Inspired by True Events!

For me, chicken pot pie is a warm memory of my mother’s kitchen.  She always made it from scratch, but that was a different era, when almost everything, including socks and baseballs, was made from scratch.  I loved her version. Later, some evil person, cursed be his name, introduced me to the perversion of clotty, tasteless muck you find in the frozen food section. For years I wandered in culinary purgatory.

Then, one happy day, I was in a London pub and a friend ordered the pub’s version of chicken pot pie.  I silently mourned his unfortunate choice.

He took a forkful, licked his lips and smiled.  Unexpected.  I had already cleared a path for him to make a galloping exit toward the Gents.

He offered me a bite.  Years of disgust faded like the memory of the time I discovered the difference between super glue and lubricant.   This was a heavenly blend of creamy flavors, dotted with herbs and sealed in a joyously flaky crust.  At that moment I made a vow to bring joy to the world with a startling reintroduction of chicken pot pie, as it should be.  Light. Delicious. Amazingly satisfying.  Needing only a soft white wine to bring comfort to the masses.  My gift to the world.

For the crust:

2 ½ Cups all-purpose flour

½ Tablespoon Salt

½ Cup (1 Stick) of chilled butter

½ Cup shortening

4 Tablespoons ice water

Mix the flour and salt.  Using forks or a pastry cutter, cut the shortening and butter into the flour.  Sprinkle on the ice water.  (I normally do a bit of this and that, but the ice water should be measured, or the dough will be too soggy.)

After cutting in the flour and shortening

After adding the ice water

Note:  Do not use a food processor to make pie dough.  The butter and shortening will be cut in too finely and the crust will not be as flaky.

Press the dough out into a rough circle, cover it front and back with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

For the Filling:

4 large chicken breasts  (1 ¾ pounds) cut into bite sized chunks

2 Cups chicken broth, plus another heaping tablespoon of granulated chicken broth, or one of the small cups of concentrated, jellied chicken broth, to intensify the flavor

1 Cup dry white wine

4 Cups sliced mushrooms

1 large onion, cut in quarters and sliced thinly

1 ½ Cups celery, chopped, including the leaves

1 large carrot, split and chopped

3 Tablespoons of chopped fennel leaves or tarragon, or another fresh herb

6 ounces of soft white cheese (I used a neutral cheese.  Brie or       Camembert will work, but will give a different flavor.)

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Celery leaves add a lot of flavor

A very soft, neutral cheese

Heat the oven to 375ºF

In a large skillet (I used a 12 inch), add the butter, olive oil, wine, and one cup of chicken stock.  Next add a half-cup of celery and onion, plus the chicken.  Stir over medium heat.  (You want the chicken juice to remain, so do not use high heat.)  After 2-3 minutes, when the chicken has lost its pink color, add the remainder of the chicken stock, as well as the granulated chicken stock.  Stir and bring to a boil. 

As the mixture comes to a boil, add the mushrooms and remaining vegetables.  Sprinkle the fennel over the mixture and continue to cook and stir. Don’t worry if the skillet is full.  Vegetables cook down nicely.

When the chicken is cooked, stir in bits of the soft, white cheese.  When that is blended, remove the mixture from the heat, while you roll out the piecrust.

Put the chicken mixture in an oven proof baking dish and lay the rolled piecrust over the top.  With any excess dough, make crust decorations as desired, or as your wife insists. Remember to poke holes in the crust to allow steam to escape while it bakes.

Slide the chicken pot pie into the pre-heated oven and bake until the pie crust is golden.  About 35 minutes.

Serves 8 to 9 hungry folks.

I prefer hot chicken pot pie, but it is also good at room temperature.