Chicken Pot Pie

Dear diary,

I first tasted chicken pot pie at P.J. Clarke's in 3rd avenue, this historic place that takes you back in time, in Mad Men's New York.

In North America, chicken pot pie is considered as "comfort food", easily prepared, traditional, and a bit nostalgic...

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, so I grab the opportunity of being in the US to learn this traditional, american, comfort, inviting dish!

Ingredients (for one round pan ~18cm and 2 ramekins)

• 2 pastry sheets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 package of frozen chopped carrots and peas
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream of half-and-half
• salt, pepper, tarragon

The recipe also calls for pearl onions, but I skipped them because I was too bored to go to the supermarket :)

In the pictures below you can see a step-by-step preparation.

1.   Add the olive oil in a heated large pot, and saute the chicken chunks.

2.   Add potatoes, carrots and peas and simmer for 5 minutes.
3.   Pour broth into the pout and bring to simmer.
4.   Add flour and butter, and whisk until it starts to thicken.
5.   Add cream and bring to boil.

  6.   In the meantime put one pastry sheet in the pottom of the round pan and use a fork to make small      holes. Cut around the edges and use what's left for making round tops for the ramekins. (I did not put pastry sheet at the bottom of the ramekins.)
  7.   Bake for 15 minutes at 355F (180C).
  8.   Pour the chicken and vegetables mixture in the round pan, once the pastry sheet is baked.
  9.   Top with the other pastry sheet. Try to seal the top and bottom pastry sheets.
10.   Spread the top with a beaten egg, and cut some holes with a knife.

11.   Pour the mixture in the ramekins.
12.   Top with the remainder pastry sheet that you have worked into circles, 2cm larger than the ramekins width.
13.   Water the edges of the ramekins and the pastry tops to seal the pie.
14.   Spread the egg on top and cut some holes with a knife


15.   Bake at 355F (180C) for 40-45 minutes. 

It was a very tasty and nutritious meal! We very much enjoyed it and felt that indeed it's a comfort food.

The crunchy top and the soup texture inside complemented each other perfectly!

The only problem with this dish is that you have to wait until it has cooled down a bit, otherwise you'll get some serious tongue burns!

Enjoy!

Yours,
Jennoula