Chicken Pot Pie

This was a new recipe for me, and since I had time, and again, it was cold, it looked enticing. Taken from "Joy of Cooking: All About Pies and Tarts". This was a little more labor intensive than the chili but now that I've made it once will take less time. It's a nice recipe to make on the weekend and have on hand for a few meals throughout the week.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or turkey, or 3 1/2 lbs chicken parts)
1 3/4 -2 cups chicken stock
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 and 1/2 or light cream
lemon juice
salt and pepper
ground nutmeg
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 medium carrots (peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick)
2 small celery sticks (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
3/4 cup frozen peas (thawed)
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp beaten egg

For the biscuits:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2-5 tbsp cold unsalted butter but into pieces
3/8 cup milk

Directions:

~Place chicken in large pot, add chicken stock(and if necessary enough water to cover chicken pieces). Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce heat so liquid is barely bubbling. Partially cover and cook until meat releases clear juices when pierced with a fork. (for boneless, skinless about 8-12 minutes)

~Remove meat from stock and cool on plate enough to cut. Cut or shred meat into bit size pieces.

~ Skim fat from stock with a spoon. Melt 4 tbsp butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup all purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add 2 cups chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk(cream or 1/2 and 1/2). Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from pan, scrape sides, whisk to break up all lumps. Bring back to simmer and cook one minute. Stir in cooked poultry and cook one minute. Remove from heat and add several drops lemon juice, salt and pepper and 2-3 pinches of nutmeg (all to taste).

Make biscuit dough:

~Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles course breadcrumbs. Add milk and mix with rubber spatula until most dry ingredients are moistened. With lightly floured hands kneed into a ball and against sides of bowl 5-10 times. Refrigerate until later.

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

~ Butter a 13x9 baking pan

~ Heat in large skillet over medium high heat 2 tbsp butter. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until barely tender (about 5 minutes). Stir vegetables into creamed chicken and add peas and parsley.

~Pour the chicken mixture into prepared pan. Roll out biscuit dough 1/2 inch thick and cut into 2 inch rounds. Arrange on top of chicken, overlapping if necessary.

~Brush top of biscuits with beaten egg.

~ Bake until chic is bubbly and topping is nicely browned. (25-35 minutes.

Enjoy!




Comments:

Mark: Pleasantly surprised but could use more vegetables. (I wish I took a picture of the look on his face when I told him what was for dinner . . . but he ended up eating it for lunch and dinner the next day too!)

Hannah: Recommended but . . . Add more vegetables. Could also substitute turkey for the chicken (especially that frozen leftover turkey from Thanksgiving).