Chicken Tarragon Pot Pie
Keep leftover chicken or turkey in the freezer until you're ready to make this delicious one-dish meal, which Julia Moskin originated on the New York Times website years ago. A tender crust sits on top of meat and vegetables that are bathed in a smooth, pleasing sauce. It looks hard, but it's a dish that's easy to assemble. This is a warm-us-up winter dish that will disappear quickly.
More winter meals: Chicken Mushroom Pot Pie, Coq au Vin (Chicken Stew with Brandy), Boeuf Bourgignon, Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew, Beef Tzimmes,
Time: 30 minutes to make, 50 minutes to bake
Serves: 8
Ingredients for the Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold, unsalted butter
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup ice water
1 egg
Ingredients for the Filling
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, onions or shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried tarragon
1 cup frozen green peas
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups leftover roast chicken, cut into 1/2-in chunks.
Method
To make the crust:
Combine the flour, butter salt and sugar in a food processor or a bowl. Pulse together or blend, using pastry tool, until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is broken into small pieces.
Pour the 1/3 cup ice water into the machine or the bowl, pulsing 3 or 4 times or crumbling until the dough clumps together and is evenly moist. If not, add another tablespoon of water and pulse or mix. Don't overmix so that the dough becomes like a ball.
Turn out the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Life the ends of the plastic to gather the dough inside. Press the dough into a large disk and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate the dough until it is ready to use, up to 2 days. Alternately, freeze it until needed, thawing it overnight in the fridge.
To make the filling:
Melt 2 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped carrots, celery and leeks and the tarragon. Cook, stirring until just slightly softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the temperature down if necessary to prevent browning. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl, wipe out the skillet and replace on the stove.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and smells cooked. Do not let it brown.
Whisk in 2 cups broth and cook, whisking constantly to break up lumps, for 1 minute
Whisk in the cream and cook 2 or 3 minutes, just until thickened. Add salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in the remaining broth. Add the cooked vegetables , the peas and the chicken to the sauce. Mix gently and adjust seasonings.
Spoon the mixture into an 8" pie plate or other baking dish.
Heat the over to 400 degrees.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface, turning and flouring as necessary. Cut a shape 1 1/2 inches larger than the baking dish you are using so there will be overlap all around.
Roll up the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll over the dish. Fold the edges under and crimp. Poke the tip of a knife through the crust to create 3 or 4 vent holes near the center.
Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the enitre crush with egg wash. Place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes more until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Keep leftover chicken or turkey in the freezer until you're ready to make this delicious one-dish meal, which Julia Moskin originated on the New York Times website years ago. A tender crust sits on top of meat and vegetables that are bathed in a smooth, pleasing sauce. It looks hard, but it's a dish that's easy to assemble. This is a warm-us-up winter dish that will disappear quickly.
More winter meals: Chicken Mushroom Pot Pie, Coq au Vin (Chicken Stew with Brandy), Boeuf Bourgignon, Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew, Beef Tzimmes,
Time: 30 minutes to make, 50 minutes to bake
Serves: 8
Ingredients for the Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold, unsalted butter
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup ice water
1 egg
Ingredients for the Filling
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, onions or shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried tarragon
1 cup frozen green peas
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups leftover roast chicken, cut into 1/2-in chunks.
Method
To make the crust:
Combine the flour, butter salt and sugar in a food processor or a bowl. Pulse together or blend, using pastry tool, until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is broken into small pieces.
Pour the 1/3 cup ice water into the machine or the bowl, pulsing 3 or 4 times or crumbling until the dough clumps together and is evenly moist. If not, add another tablespoon of water and pulse or mix. Don't overmix so that the dough becomes like a ball.
Turn out the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Life the ends of the plastic to gather the dough inside. Press the dough into a large disk and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate the dough until it is ready to use, up to 2 days. Alternately, freeze it until needed, thawing it overnight in the fridge.
To make the filling:
Melt 2 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped carrots, celery and leeks and the tarragon. Cook, stirring until just slightly softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the temperature down if necessary to prevent browning. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl, wipe out the skillet and replace on the stove.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and smells cooked. Do not let it brown.
Whisk in 2 cups broth and cook, whisking constantly to break up lumps, for 1 minute
Whisk in the cream and cook 2 or 3 minutes, just until thickened. Add salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in the remaining broth. Add the cooked vegetables , the peas and the chicken to the sauce. Mix gently and adjust seasonings.
Spoon the mixture into an 8" pie plate or other baking dish.
Heat the over to 400 degrees.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface, turning and flouring as necessary. Cut a shape 1 1/2 inches larger than the baking dish you are using so there will be overlap all around.
Roll up the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll over the dish. Fold the edges under and crimp. Poke the tip of a knife through the crust to create 3 or 4 vent holes near the center.
Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the enitre crush with egg wash. Place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes more until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.