With spring just around the corner and winter hanging on, I’d better tick chicken pot pie off my to-do list. As I said in my last post, I’ve been hanging on to comfort food until it warms up around here. The challenge was to determine what kind of spin I could put on this classic dish.
The typical pie contains chicken, onions, celery, mushrooms, and peas with a cream sauce and pie crust. In pondering the variation I wanted to create on this quintessential comfort dish, I started thinking of all the ingredients that I love that would work together. I’ve been experimenting lately with celery root or celeriac and I had some in the fridge, so that was a obvious choice. Leeks, fennel, and sun-dried tomatoes all play well together, so they were in. Some Yukon gold potatoes sat in my veggie bowl waiting to be used and I thought they’d be a good addition. A rotisserie chicken, carrots, peas, roasted red peppers, and mushrooms rounded out the ingredients for this recipe.
Last week as I walked past the cheese department at my farmers market, I picked up some Asiago cheese on a whim. I almost always opt for Parmigiano Reggiano when it comes to hard cheese, but I’m so glad I made that decision. Also a hard cheese, Asiago has a slightly creamier texture than Parmesan and in rediscovering this cheese, I realized how delicious it is.
The sauce for this recipe is a basic Bechamel with the addition of chicken stock, so adding some grated Asiago seemed like a good decision. Since I’d bought a big block, and since I’d had good luck with cheese in pie crust with my Apple Cheddar Turnovers, I thought a little Asiago wouldn’t hurt in the crust for this pie as well.
The ingredients really work well together and compliment each other. This version of chicken pot pie got rave reviews from our best friends, Bruce and Felix, and I really think you’ll enjoy it too.
Ingredients
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped fennel bulb
1 cup chopped celeriac (celery can be substituted)
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced Yukon gold potatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks, green and white parts
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup roughly chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned and cut into bite-sized pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cheese, and salt. Pulse to mix. Add cold butter and pulse several times until mixture resembles coarse meal. Some larger pieces of butter are okay.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse. If the dough has not come together, add one additional tablespoon at a time until it clumps. You'll know the dough is ready when a small amount holds together in your hand.
4. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead two or three times. Form dough into a four-inch disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
1. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch iron skillet over medium high heat. Add fennel, celeriac, carrots and potatoes to skillet and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic, leeks, mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add red pepper, sundried tomatoes, peas, and chicken. Cool completely.
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until well combined. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes whisking constantly. Add chicken stock and continue cooking until sauce begins to thicken.
3. Add cheese, salt, and pepper, whisking until combined and cheese is melting. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce has thickened and coats a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour sauce into skillet with cooled chicken filling and mix well.
3. On a floured surface, roll dough out to a 14-inch circle. Roll dough onto rolling pin and transfer to top of chicken filling. You should have an excess of 1 inch of dough around the skillet. Fold the excess dough back into the rim of the skillet and crimp with your fingers.
4. Cut a 4-inch cross in the middle of the dough for venting. Brush dough with egg.
5. Place skillet into oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
https://southernboydishes.com/2014/03/07/chicken-pot-pie/You may also like:
- Roasted Cauliflower and Fennel Soup - November 8, 2015
- Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili{+ a Cookbook Giveaway} - October 27, 2015
- Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Stew with Turkey Sausage - October 16, 2015
Thanks for the reminder to make Chicken Pot Pie, it’s been a entire winter without one!
OMG, that looks beautiful. Chicken pot pie is one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. Love, love this.
Velva
Celeriac and fennel? Magical combo. Great idea. Lovely looking dish, too. I’ve been threatening to make chicken pot pie all winter, and just haven’t gotten around to it. I really should before it gets too warm. Love your version — thanks for the inspiration.
Ohhh, Bill this is wonderful. I love that you call for so many different veggies. We have a lot of roots from our CSA, so this would be a great way to use them. Your pastry is stunning.
Thanks, Katie! I did actually love all the different vegetables in this version.
That is seriously one gorgeous pot pie recipe!!