Classic Chicken Pot Pie
Inspired by none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, this Classic Chicken Pot Pie with a bit of a twist is too good to be true! Succulent, moist pieces of roasted chicken breasts (pre-marinated in a Cilantro Lime seasoning!) coated in a most creamy filling. Starting with a basic roux to thicken the seasoned vegetable stock, flavored with sautéed yellow onions and garlic, then layered with blanched carrots, peas, pearl onions + lots of fresh parsley. A simple filling seasoned with nothing more than Kosher salt + freshly cracked black pepper that is so satisfying, hearty and luscious. The gorgeous interior filling is concealed by buttery, flaky puff pastry and baked to golden, bubbly perfection. Fabulous indeed!
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts *I used Crescent brand, pre-marinated, Cilantro Lime seasoned
- 2 medium yellow onions *chopped
- 4 cloves garlic *minced
- 1 stick butter *unsalted, 1/2 cup or 8 tbsp
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- ¾ cup pearl onions *frozen
- 1 cup large peas *frozen. 8 oz
- 1 cup carrots *peeled, sliced and blanched
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- fresh parsley *handful, chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Kosher salt *as needed
- 2 sheets puff pastry *Kept COLD, defrosted in fridge. I use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets, gently rolled out, sprinkled with some flour and cut into a circle using a dinner plate as a template.
- egg wash *as needed
- sea salt *for sprinkling on top of puff pastry
Instructions
For Roasting Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pre-marinated chicken breasts on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, cover with aluminum foil and roast chicken breasts for 35-40 minutes, until cooked through. Remove roasted chicken from oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes, covered. *If chicken breasts are not pre-marinated, season with Kosher salt, black pepper and rub with olive oil before roasting. If chicken breasts are bone-in/skin on, which is ideal, you can roast directly without aluminum foil covering.
For Filling
- Remove frozen peas and pearl onions from freezer and set aside to defrost.
- In a Dutch oven, heat butter + olive oil on medium heat. Sauté chopped onions and garlic for 10-12 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, translucent and aromatic. Now add ¼ cup flour and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium low heat, until fragrant and lightly browned, mixing frequently.
- In a measuring cup, combine 2 cubes of chicken bouillon cubes in 4 cups of vegetable stock (stir with fork to break cubes and combine into stock).
- Pour vegetable stock mixture into prepared roux and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Turn heat to medium low and cook for 10-12 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently. Season with black pepper and Kosher salt, as needed. Once thickened, add heavy cream, mix well to combine and cook on medium low heat for a final 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Blanch peeled/sliced carrots in boiling water for approximately 6-8 minutes until tender and strain. Set aside.
- Cut and dice roasted chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
- Turn heat back on to low and add defrosted peas, pearl onions and blanched carrots to thickened filling mixture. Mix to combine. Once bubbling, add diced chicken breasts and freshly chopped parsley, mix to combine and simmer for a final 3-4 minutes.
For Puff Pastry
- Flour a clean, flat surface and gently roll out cold puff pastry sheets with a rolling pin. Use an appropriately sized dinner plate and a sharp knife to cut out a circle shape, depending on diamter of your circular baking dish. Ideally, puff pastry cover should be 1 inch greater in diameter than size of your baking dish.
For Final Assembly
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ladle chicken pot pie filling into baking dishes (I used two round 2 quart ceramic ramekins ~8.6 inches in diameter and 2.8 inches tall). Using a pastry brush, brush the outer edges of both dishes with egg wash. Carefully place cut-out puff pastry on top of dish and gently press around sides of baking dish to seal. Brush egg wash on top of puff pastry and sprinkle with sea salt (and some black pepper). Using a sharp knife, place a few diagonal slits towards center of pie to allow steam to release during baking. Bake chicken pot pies for 40-45 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
- Mouthwateringly delicious, bubbly and just oozing with goodness, Classic Chicken Pot Pie is now ready to serve. The perfect comfy Sunday brunch and a crowd-pleaser for any sized gathering. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.