Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
This homemade Chicken Pot Pie layers a velvety chicken-and-vegetable filling under crisp, buttery pastry for a modern twist on a classic.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 4- pound roasting chicken
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, or
- 1 homemade pie crust recipe
- 1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 cup peeled pearl onions
- 1 leek, quartered and thinly sliced, rinsed and green parts removed
- 2 carrots, peeled medium-diced
- 2 ribs of celery, medium diced
- 1 parsnip, peeled medium diced
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled medium-diced
- 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup peas
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dry the chicken on all sides, including the cavity, with paper towels. Place it on a rack over a sheet tray, then season it on all sides and in the cavity with 1 tablespoon of salt. Place it uncovered in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large 12” skillet and heat over high heat until it begins to lightly smoke. Place the chicken breast side up and sear for 3 to 4 minutes or until it starts to brown well and become crispy. Flip the chicken over and cook in the oven on a middle rack at 425° for 55 to 60 minutes or until it reaches 160° F internally. Once it is cooked, remove it and let it stand at room temperature. While this cooks, prepare the vermouth cream sauce and all the vegetables. It is removed before adding it to the pastry dough.
- While the chicken is cooking, add 1 cup of chicken stock, vermouth, and 3 tablespoons of butter to a small sauce pot and cook over medium-to-medium high heat, reducing until there is only 1/3 cup remaining. This will take 7 to 8 minutes. It will thicken like syrup.
- Remove it from the cooktop and whisk in the heavy cream, and set it to the side.
- At this stage, decide whether to use puff pastry or pie dough, and roll it out until it is 1 inch larger than the outside of your final serving dish. For example, if you are serving this in a 13x9 casserole, you would want the sheet of dough to be 14x10.”
- Place it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and brush on the egg yolk and milk wash. Gently season with salt, then bake on a middle rack in the oven at 425° F for 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Set to the side.
- In the meantime, while the dough is cooking, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to a large rondeau pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the leeks and onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Next, turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 minutes to further caramelize.
- Add in the carrots, parsnips, celery, and potatoes, and gently season with salt, then sweat them for 5 to 6 minutes.
- In a separate large saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of oil. Once it begins to smoke, add in the mushrooms, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until well browned.
- Transfer the mushrooms to the rondeau pot. Next, stir in the flour to make a roux. Make sure it is completely mixed in before adding in the remaining 3 cups of chicken stock. Turn the heat up to medium; it should immediately thicken immediately. Then turn the heat down to low and simmer.
- While this is simmering, I remove all the meat from the roasted chicken and medium- to large-dice it. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes. Once it’s cut up, add it to the pot along with the peas and stir to combine. At this stage, the vegetables should be perfectly tender.
- Finish it with the vermouth cream, mustard, and adjust any seasonings with salt and pepper. Transfer to a final serving dish and place the browned, baked pastry on top. Perfectly cooked vegetables with a perfectly cooked pastry crust.
Notes
Dice evenly: I cut everything, from the root vegetables to the roasted chicken, into even-sized pieces. This helps the vegetables cook evenly, the chicken heat through in the filling, and gives me the perfect balance of meat and veggies in each bite.
Chill the dough: I always roll out my puff pastry or pie dough ahead of time and chill it in the fridge until it’s time to bake. After all, cold dough always yields a tender, flaky crust.
Cook mushrooms separately: I always sauté the mushrooms in a pan by themselves. This prevents them from steaming and allows them to develop a deep, roasted umami flavor.
Individual pot pies: It’s fun and easy to serve individual mini chicken pot pies for holidays or dinner parties. Just roll the dough 1 inch larger than individual ramekins or mini casserole dishes, bake separately, and assemble as normal.
Make-Ahead: This filling can be made 1–2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. I also like baking the pastry, letting it cool, and storing it at room temperature. When it’s time to eat, reheat the filling on the stove and top it with the crisp pastry.
How to Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The filling can also be frozen for up to 3 months. The baked pastry doesn’t freeze well on its own, so I recommend baking a fresh sheet when you’re ready to serve.
How to Reheat: Reheat the filling on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Add a splash of broth or cream if it thickens too much. If you baked the pastry ahead, warm it in a 325°F oven for about 5 minutes. Then, place it on top just before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 662kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 17gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 1141mgPotassium: 681mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3368IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 3mg