Quite Possibly the Best Homemade Chicken Pot Pie…Ever {50 Women In Food: #39 Ina Garten}

On March 16, 2012

Mary of One Perfect Bite and some other women food bloggers (including myself) are blogging our way through the 50 Women Game Changers In Food published by Gourmet in May ’11. Some of the women on the list you will know, others you may not, but either way, this will be a great 50 week journey to learn more about these women that inspire the way we think about food today.

Please visit Mary at One Perfect Bite, Val at More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne at Eats Well With Others, Taryn at Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan at The Spice Garden, Claudia at A Seasonal Cook In Turkey, Heather at Girlichef, Jeanette at Jeanette’s Healthy Living, Sue at The View From Great Island, Barbara at Moveable Feasts, Nancy at Picadillo, Mireya at My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen, Annie at Lovely Things, Claudia at Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce at More Time at the Table, Amrita at Beetle’s Kitchen Escapades, Kathy at Bakeaway with Me, Martha at Simple Nourished Living, and Jill at Saucy Cooks  for their tributes to these 50 women.

Chicken Pot Pie

The famed Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa lands on the list at #39. A self-taught cook in French and New England cuisine, in 1978, she found herself the owner of Barefoot Contessa, a 400-sq. ft. specialty food store. Twenty years later, Barefoot Contessa grew to a 3,000-square-foot food emporium where twenty cooks and bakers prepared the food. She has since sold the store (which then closed its doors in 2003) and moved on to cookbooks, television and Food Network fame.

As far as Ina and I go, I never seek out her recipes, but if she has a recipe for something I want to make, it has always been spot on. I have made this recipe a few times before, and I actually use this same recipe every time I think of doing a pot pie. When I told my husband we were having chicken pot pie for dinner, he was not so thrilled. He likes it, but it would not be a dish that would come to mind of he had to pick his last meal. This pie changes that.

Mis en Place:

Chicken Pot Pie-1

Chicken Pot Pie
This is hands down the best homemade chicken pot pie ever. EVER.

EVER. Got it?

Unbelievably light, flakey crust, a hearty and satisfying filling that includes not only sautéed onions, but pearl onions. I know! My husband said this was the best pot pie he has ever had. Don’t let the ingredient list fool you. There shouldn’t be too much on there that you have to buy, and although the directions seem in depth, once you read them through, you’ll see that it is not too much trouble.

Chicken Pot Pie

I love how the flakey crust breaks off with the ever so slightest touch, just in time to fall into the filling to give it more richness. There is only one thing I would change about this recipe. I would double the dough and put some inside the bowl before baking. Call me crazy, but I love the gooey bottom that forms and the beautiful contrast to the rest of the pie that comes along with it.

2012-03-15

 Kitchen Notes:

  • Probably my most important note ever – after the pie comes out of the oven, the filling is boiling hot. Plan accordingly so you can let the pies rest at least 30 – 45 minutes before serving.
  • I used butter flavored shortening with excellent results.
  • I used baby carrots and did not blanch them ahead of time. They were small enough to cook in the soup.
  • Instead of roasting the chicken, I poached it in the stock.

Print
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Rating: 51

Ingredients

  • 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
    • For the pastry:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
  • Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.
  4. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  6. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.
http://mangoesandchutney.com/50-women-in-food/chicken-pot-pie/

Ina Garten

In the Spotlight: Ina Garten

Ina Rosenberg Garten born February 2, 1948) is an American author, host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, and former White Housenuclear policy analyst. Known for designing recipes with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and time-saving tips, she has been noted by Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and Patricia Wells for her cooking and home entertaining. Garten had no formal training; she taught herself culinary techniques with the aid of French and New England cookbooks. She was mentored chiefly by Eli Zabar, owner of Eli’s Manhattan and Eli’s Breads, and food-show host and author Martha Stewart. Her culinary career began with her gourmet food store, Barefoot Contessa; Garten then expanded her activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded convenience products, and a popular Food Network television show.

 

 

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50 Women In Food, Chicken and Poultry, Dinner, Kid Friendly
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