We had dinner club at our house this weekend and my goal was to make something that could be prepared ahead, did not involve my meat thermometer and had a cozy feeling... so I made Chicken Pot Pies. I was a little concerned because I'd never made a crust before and the recipe I found came highly reviewed but the ingredients seemed totally wacky to me, I made it anyway and although the ingredients still seem incompatible, I was glad I ignored my instincts because it sure tasted good! Who knew that sun dried tomatoes, shitakes, green onions and rosemary went together? As for my meat thermometer I have become obsessed with making sure everything is cooked to the absolute correct temperature (after I have this baby I'm going back to my old ways of half thermometer, half eyeballing it) I think my meat thermometer must be broken because it always seems to get stuck at the same temperature...
Anyway, make these chicken pot pies, they are easy to make, were a big hit and sure look cute in their own little containers.
Crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperature (I used the 1/3 less fat kind and the crust was still rich and delicious)
Chicken
1 3 1/2-pound whole chicken - I used a rotisserie chicken from the store. SO easy, oh and canned chicken stock, so I basically skipped this step.
12 cups water
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large leek, sliced
12 small thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Filling and assembly
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
4 ounces green beans, boiled 1 minute, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 1/2 teaspoons beef base*
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
For crust:
Mix flour and salt in processor. Add butter and cheese; blend until moist clumps form. Shape dough into 6-inch-long log. Wrap; chill while making chicken and filling.
For chicken:
Place all ingredients in large pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl; cool. Discard skin and bones. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces; return to bowl. Strain cooking liquid into large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups stock, about 1 hour.
For filling and assembly:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onion; cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until just brown, about 4 minutes. Add to bowl with chicken; mix in next 4 ingredients.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 3 cups stock, then milk, cream and beef base; bring to boil. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Stir 3 cups sauce into chicken mixture (reserve remaining sauce for another use).
Cut prepared dough crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Roll out pieces to 7-inch rounds on lightly floured surface. Divide filling among six 2-cup soufflé dishes. Cover each dish with 1 dough round. Press overhang to side of dish to adhere. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush top of each dough round with egg glaze; cut 3 slits in each for steam to escape. Bake pies until crust is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 45 minutes.
*Sold at specialty foods stores and in the soup section of many supermarkets
