Chicken Pot Pie (sorta) from Martha Stewart
Recently, my sister baked the most delicious chicken pot pie for us. After helping myself to another serving, I asked if she’d be willing to write up her version of this classic recipe… It’s a special guest edition on the little dish!
It seems like comfort food is misunderstood. Often the label is applied to foods that are anything but comfortable: heavy, dense, fat-laden dishes that leave you with digestive unease and a vague sense of guilt. This is especially true when you try to capture comfort food in frozen form, and the chicken pot pie is a prime example of this. I can’t think of a time I’ve eaten homemade chicken pot pie, so my memories of it are mostly influenced by the Marie Callender individual portions in faux-foil cardboard saucers. A heavy, overly-rich crust dominates the thick filling and one look at the nutrition facts is enough to induce heart palpitations…
But chicken pot pie can be a truly delightful dish, and when I made it at home I was reminded of what comfort food can really be. The process is… a little labor intensive (not a 30-minute meal, by any means!), but there is something almost therapeutic about making a dish so simple, flexible, and downright wholesome. Chopping fresh veggies, poaching chicken — nothing tedious going on here, but it does require work. Thankfully, time invested is definitely rewarded. The resulting pot pie was flavorful, light, and delicious. The recipe uses phyllo dough layered on top instead of a heavy, bread-y crust, and this substitution makes all the difference. Crispy, flaky, light layers of phyllo complement the warm and flavorful filling, resulting in chicken pot pie as it should be.
Now the original recipe I started with from Martha Stewart is great, but I there are a few alterations I would definitely suggest. First, the recipe omits the important step of *cooking* the vegetables before combining with the chicken and topping with the crust. Although it bakes in the oven, the veggies don’t get much softer during that step, so it’s essential that you cook them on the stove until they’re soft.
Second, I like my chicken pot pie with potatoes! Martha didn’t include any, but I felt they were necessary. (The great thing about this recipe is its flexibility: you can adjust the elements in the filling as you please. I added more salt and pepper as well.)
Third, I like a creamier, saucier sauce, so I substituted a cup of whole milk for 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Finally, possibly because of the addition of potatoes, or because of the size of pan I wanted to use, I had enough filling for two separate pies. I assembled both of them and then only baked one, saving the other for the next day’s dinner. I see it as a bonus dinner.
Chicken Pot Pie
Based on this recipe by the one and only, Martha Stewart
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 1/4 cup melted butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup reserved stock from Poached Chicken
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 medium celery stalks, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 Russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Poached Chicken [recipe below]
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus about 1/2 cup leaves for crust and sprigs for garnish
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup slightly thawed frozen peas
6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in milk and 1/2 cup stock. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup stock into the flour in a small bowl. Whisk into shallot mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer.
2. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, and additional stock or milk if filling is not creamy enough. Return to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and tarragon, and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a 2-quart (8 1/2-by-12-inch) baking dish, or two 9-inch round casserole dishes.
3. Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Sprinkle with parsley leaves. Repeat with remaining phyllo, parsley, and butter; do not sprinkle parsley on final layer. (Keep unbuttered phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.) Drape crust over cooled filling; tuck in edges. Cut four 4-inch slits in crust for vents. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
4. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and recut vents. Serve immediately in shallow bowls.
Poached Chicken
Makes enough for 1 pot pie
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 celery stalks, cut into 4-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 cans (14 ounces each) low-sodium store-bought chicken broth
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1. Place chicken in a large stockpot. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam; discard. Reduce heat to low; simmer until chicken has just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
2. Transfer chicken to a plate, and let cool slightly. Pour stock through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Set aside 1 cup stock for pot pie; reserve remaining stock for another use. Tear chicken into bite-sized pieces. (You should have about 4 cups.) Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use, up to 2 days.
That’s the prettiest chicken pot pie I’ve ever seen!
I like that phyllo dough idea.
Ive always had a bad time with chicken in chicken pot pies. Im always wanting to add more flavor to it. Like flavor all the way through the chicken. Does this deliver on that?
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