Pho - Vietnamese Soup

Pho - Vietnamese Soup
One of our favorite dishes - Pho

Friday, January 7, 2011

Chicken Pot Pie


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I've not been blogging any recipes, because my camera was on the blink and before I knew it the holidays were upon us and it got crazy busy.  Now, I'm back and rarin' to start cooking and blogging again.  =)


In making the pot pie, instead of preparing individual servings in ramekins I assembled the pie in a casserole dish.  Also, I made this recipe with a rotisserie chicken and I used store-bought rolled-up pie crusts.  I used 1 layer of dough for a bottom crust in addition to the crust on top.  This dish turned out really good with a creamy sauce, a flaky crust and the tarragon added a wonderful touch of flavor.  I would recommend this recipe to satisfy any comfort food cravings you might have.  


The filling can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 8 hours before assembling and baking.  Also, you can freeze the uncooked pies in the freezer for up to 6 months.  


To put a different spin on this recipe you could top the pie with biscuit dough in place of the pastry dough.  Roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick, then cut out rounds to fit just inside the rim of each ramekin.  Bake at 400 degrees until the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.


6 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 lbs button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup peas, fresh or thawed frozen
1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
4 - 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup dry sherry
2 tsp fresh tarragon, minced
4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 sheets of pie dough
1 large egg


To make the sauce and vegetables, in a large frying pan, melt 1 TBSP of the butter over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the begin to brown, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the leeks and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the peas.


In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 5 TBSP butter over medium-low heat.  Whisk in the flour and let bubble gently for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the stock and sherry and then the tarragon.  Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  Stir in the shredded chicken and the mushroom-leek mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Let cool until lukewarm, about 1 hour.


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spoon the chicken mixture into six 1-1/2 cup ovenproof soup crocks or ramekins.


Place the unwrapped dough on a lightly floured work surface and dust the top with four.  If the dough is chilled hard, let it stand at room temperature for a few minutes until it begins to soften before rolling it out.  Roll it out into a rectangle about 20 by 13 inches and 1/8 inch thick.  Using a 6-inch saucer as a template, use a knife to cut out 6 rounds.  Beat the egg with a pinch of salt.  Lightly brush each round with the egg.  Place 1 round, egg side down, over each ramekin, keeping the pastry taut and pressing it around the ramekin edges to adhere.  Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.  Lightly brush the tops with the egg.  Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes.  Transfer each ramekin to a dinner plate and serve.

1 comment:

  1. This chicken pot pie was delicious! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!!

    ReplyDelete