Nothing says winter and comfort food quite like Chicken Pot Pie. Yummy. While I think that most recipes for Chicken Pot Pie take advantage of winter veggies, I thought that I would use some that seem to be even more common here in the northern climes — carrots (of course) but also cauliflower and broccoli. Add in the fact that I used a Whole Foods bought rotisserie chicken, the whole thing was on the table in about 90 minutes.
Ingredients
for the pastry
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3-6 tablespoons ice cold water
for the filling
1 rotisserie chicken, meat taken off the bone
1 cup carrots, 1/2 inch dice
1 cup yukon gold potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
1 cup broccoli florets, 1-2 inches
1 cup cauliflower florets, 1-2 inches
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup onion, small dice
1/2 cup celery, small dice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, mixed with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash
Directions
Prepare your crust: In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Cut in the butter and shortening, blending until the mixture resembles coarse sand (with some larger pieces of butter). Add in three tablespoons of the ice water, using a fork to mix the dough together. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together in a slightly crumbly ball. Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into a flattened disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 24 hours).
Prepare your filling: In a saucepan, combine carrots and onions. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside. In another pot with a steamer insert, steam broccoli and cauliflower florets until al dente. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions and celery in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Add chicken meat and prepared veggies, gently mixing as to not break up the broccoli and cauliflower too much. Place the chicken and veggie mixture an oven proof ceramic pan (or multiple ones, if making individual sized).
Preheat your oven to 400F. On a lightly floured counter, roll out your pie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Place the chicken and veggie mixture an oven proof ceramic pan (or multiple ones, if making individual sized). Cover with pastry sheet, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
