Recipe Swap: Chicken Pot Pie

As the cooler weather approaches, what better time to have a "soup and stew" themed recipe swap? I submitted my very favorite soup, Cream of Pumpkin. In return, I received a recipe from JBean Cuisine for chicken pot pie. I love chicken pot pie, but have never made one from scratch. 

Be warned: this is a time-consuming recipe. I recommend completing steps 1 through 3 the day before you plan to serve the pot pie. Cover everything in plastic wrap, or place in airtight containers and refrigerate overnight. 

Having never made a chicken pot pie from scratch before, I didn't make many changes to the recipe. I didn't add enough salt during cooking, so the initial taste was a bit bland, but adding salt at the dinner table helped. Next time, I would like to make the sauce creamier.

Also, I used a 2 ½-quart casserole dish (the largest I had), and had enough filling for at least two pot pies. So, halve the recipe if you need to!

Chicken Pot Pie
From JBean Cuisine's recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 7 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
• 7 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 medium white or yellow onions, diced
• 5 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cups of carrots, diced
• 2 cups of green peas
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 9-inch pie crust, or 1 sheet of puff pastry
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (optional)

Directions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook thoroughly, ensuring a nice golden crust on both sides (about 15 minutes). Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to cool. 
2. Place the pan back on the heat and add the cup of white wine or chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Allow the alcohol to cook off and scrape the pan with the back of your wooden spoon – you definitely want all of those yummy bits of chicken flavor. Once the liquid has reduce by half, remove from heat and pour the juices in a measuring cup until you are ready to use. 
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot, place the potatoes in the pot and cover with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and cook until fork-tender (about five minutes once the water is boiling). Be careful to ensure you do not overcook the potatoes, or they will turn to mush in the pot pie.  It’s better to undercook them than overcook them. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the heat and drain immediately. Place back in the pot and allow to cool. 
4. In a large stock-pot or dutch-oven, heat the butter over medium heat until sizzling. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add the flour and mustard powder to the onion, carrot and celery mixture. Stir well to ensure even distribution. Cook the flour mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. 
6. Increase the heat to high and add 2 cups of the chicken stock to the flour/vegetable mixture, whisking constantly as you add it in. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and continue whisking until thickened. 
7. Add the remaining stock, reserved pan juices, Tabasco sauce, bay leaves, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
8. At this point, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While the sauce is simmering, dice your potatoes and cooked chicken into 1-inch pieces. 
9. Once the sauce has been simmering for 30 minutes, remove the bay leaves, then add the chicken, potatoes and peas to the pot. Stir well to incorporate. Add additional salt and pepper if needed. 
10. Distribute the filling evenly among 6 bowls or alternatively, in one very large casserole dish. Top each serving bowl with pie dough, ensuring that you pinch the edges well. Slice an "X" in the top of each crust with a knife to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. 
11. After about 15 minutes of baking, brush the top of each pie crust with egg wash, if using, to get a shiny, golden brown crust.