Thursday, July 14, 2011

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is from Catherine, one of my book club friends. Catherine's recipes almost always have notes at the end. I've learned to pay attention to Catherine's notes.

I've made this a couple of times myself. I prefer to use shredded carrots, but I don't really like carrots anyway.

Hands-on: 31 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 medium leeks, sliced
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can chicken broth*
  • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash browns with onions and peppers
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 (17.3-oz.) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed*
  • 1 large egg

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add leeks, and sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients.
2. Roll each pastry sheet into a 12- x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface*. Fit 1 sheet into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; spoon chicken mixture into pastry. Place remaining pastry sheet over filling in opposite direction of bottom sheet; fold edges under, and press with tines of a fork, sealing to bottom crust. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water, and brush over top of pie.
3. Bake at 375° on lower oven rack 55 to 60 minutes or until browned*. Let stand 15 minutes.

*My Notes:
14.5 oz. can of broth = 1-3/4 cup. I thought this made the gravy a little too thick, so I bumped it up to 2 cups of broth (I use Tone's or McCormick soup base from Sam's or Costco).
I do not understand why they want you to roll a rectangle for a round pie pan. I pulled and rolled until it was more or less a rounded square and fit the pan, and tucked the "points" down. Same with the top crust, which I tucked down behind the bottom crust and pressed to seal. My baked crust was prettier than theirs pictured!
Before you put the pie in the oven to bake, tear off a square of foil, quarter it , and tear out the middle to make a circle. Open and place over crust to protect the edge while baking. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking (remember to put on low rack, not in middle of oven).

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