Chicken Pot Pie

Jeannine has always raved about Honey Bear Bakery's Chicken Pot Pie in Lake Forest Park's Third Place.  We finally decided that their secret ingredient was curry.  So, using my usual method of looking at a bunch of different recipes in cook books and online, then combining what I liked, I came up with the following recipe below.  I don't do pastry or dough.  So Jeannine made her famous pie crust to go on top, which is one of the best parts of Chicken Pot Pie

My rating, 8-9 out of 10.  Flavor was nice and refined, didn't have that "Hungry Man" canned flavor.  Cooking process was a little more work than preferred, but not too bad.  Cost, pretty minimal.

Wine of the night: Jade Mountain Red Table Wine 2007. Around $10 from Cost Plus.  Jade Mountain made a fabulous Syrah for around $10 that sold out quickly.  Everyone I know who had some wishes they could get more.  This blend isn't as good as the Syrah, but it is an ok red table wine for that price. I have had better at this price point, but I would buy again. 

Chicken Pot Pie
January 27, 2010
Arne Berger

Makes 4 servings

Filling Ingredients:

1 lb +/- of boneless skinless chicken breast cubed

Vegetables diced to similar size ~3/8
• Potatoes (3 small white peeled – not Yukon gold)
• Parsnip (1 medium peeled) {optional, sub more potatoes}
• Carrots (about half as much as combined potatoes and parsnip after dice)
• Frozen peas (a little less than carrots. Add at very end)
• 1 small/med yellow onion chopped and sautéed in same pot after meat in olive oil for about 5 minutes

23 oz good quality chicken broth (Swansons or home made)

Mix following spices in rough quantities in small bowl or ramekin. Adjust quantities as necessary/desired.
• Celery salt ¼ tsp
• Garlic Powder ¼ tsp
• Poultry seasoning ¼ tsp
• Salt and Pepper ½ tsp each
• Curry powder ½ tsp +/- to taste
• Cayenne pepper - dash
• Parsley 1 TBS – add at end

Directions:
Heat broth in a pot to a simmer/low boil and add carrots and parsnip. Low boil about 15 minutes and then add potatoes. Cook until vegetables are almost done. Add browned chicken and sautéed onions. Finish cooking until vegetables are soft and chicken is cooked through. Don’t overcook the chicken. {Note: cooking this way reduces the broth and also flavors the vegetables}

Meanwhile, lightly season cubed chicken with salt and pepper and brown in a heavy pot in olive oil on med/med-high heat (chicken will not be cooked all the way through) set aside. Sautee onions in pot after chicken on med-low heat.

Make a roux in the same heavy pot used for the chicken and onions with about 2-3 TBs of butter and flour each. When roux is ready, strain vegetable/chicken mixture reserving solids. Add hot strained broth slowly to roux constantly stirring to form a gravy. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 tbs cornstarch and about ¾ cup cream or milk. Add to simmering gravy until desired thickness.

At this point, add spice mixture to gravy a little at a time to taste, stirring and tasting until well seasoned (seasoning is for both gravy and vegetable/chicken mixture so it should be pretty heavily seasoned)

Add reserved chicken and vegetables and also frozen peas. Mix and keep on low heat until thoroughly warmed. Add to prepared baking dishes and top with pie crust of choice. Bake until crust is browned and filling is hot.