Hearty comfort food makes for a nice meal on cool spring nights, and a classic example is chicken pot pie. The best of both worlds, chicken pot pie combines a crispy pastry with rich chicken stew. While made-from-scratch chicken pot pie can be time consuming to make, this American comfort food classic is well worth the effort, so keep reading to learn how to make chicken pot pie.
Tips and tricks
Note these tips to get your homemade chicken pot pie just perfect for a night in.
The crust
A key tip to remember when making pie crust is to use chilled butter. This step is critical for a flaky crust. If the butter is too warm when added to the flour, it will mix too thoroughly, ensuring a crust that is tough and hard. To avoid this, keep the butter cold until the last possible moment before mixing with the flour. If pressed for time, a good-quality, store-bought pie crust will also work.
The chicken
For the best chicken filling, roast a whole chicken beforehand. This added step, although time-consuming, will ensure a more flavorful and complex chicken filling. To roast a whole chicken, season the bird with your choice of herbs and spices (try to match the roasting flavoring profile with the filling used later), and cook. When the chicken has cooled, simply tear apart the meat from the bone and set it aside. Keep the bones — these can be used to make a tasty chicken soup or broth for your chicken pot pie filling.
Storage
Chicken pot pie is a great item to freeze. Not only will the chicken filling freeze well, but an entire pie keeps well in the freezer. Cooks can also choose to make smaller pies and freeze them for quick future meals. Simply take it out and pop it in the oven for a hassle-free meal. Any leftover chicken broth should also be frozen. A helpful trick is to freeze leftover broth in ice cube trays, especially if the broth is particularly rich. These cubes of broth can be popped out and used for easy cooking.
Chicken pot pie recipe
(By Executive Chef Anand Sastry, Highway Restaurant & Bar and formerly of Main Street Tavern)
Born and raised in the U.K., Executive Chef Anand Sastry has decades of experience working in some of the best restaurants in the world, including the Michelin three-star Troisgros in France and Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin in New York City. He has also worked as a private chef for King Hussein of Jordan. At the Highway Restaurant & Bar (and formerly the Main Street Tavern), the food is inspired by Sastry’s farm-to-table upbringing.
Basic pie dough
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups bleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1.5 sticks of butter
- 4 tablespoons ice water
- 1 egg white
Method
- Place the flour, salt, sugar vegetable shortening in a mixer. Combine for a few minutes.
- Then add chopped chilled butter and ice-cold water and mix until it forms a dough.
- Leave to chill for 4 hours.
Filling
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons chicken fat
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- One whole chicken, roasted and torn into chunks
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 2 pints strong chicken stock
- 4 carrots
- 5 sticks celery
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- Salt, white pepper
Method
- Chop up the vegetables roughly and place them in the chicken stock. Cook until tender. Strain the vegetables, keeping the stock.
- Place chicken fat and margarine in a pan and turn on the heat. Add the flour until the mixture starts to form crumbs. Very slowly, add the warm stock, a little at a time, until it becomes a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken pieces and vegetables in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Then, add the warm sauce until everything binds together. Set aside to cool.
- On a floured table, roll the dough into a circle (depending on the size of the pie dish you have) about 1/4-inch thick. Place in pie dish. Then, add the filling. Roll out the top crust in the same manner as the bottom.
- Cut and trim the sides of the excess crust. Brush the top with egg white and place it in the fridge for an hour.
- Bake at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Then, turn down to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes. When the crust is brown, take it out and leave to cool. Serve when ready.
What sides go well with chicken pot pie?
Though chicken pot pie is a hearty and comforting dish on its own, there are some side dishes that can complement it well. Here are some ideas, depending on what you’re looking for with your meal.
Mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, dinner rolls, or green beans are all classic sides that pair well with chicken pot pie and add to the comforting dish. A salad with a light vinaigrette, coleslaw, or fruit salad can help balance out the richness of the chicken pot pie. You could also try something different, such as roasted Brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze, a chickpea salad, or sweet potato fries.
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