CHICKEN POT PIES RECIPE
For a fall gathering, Ashley Whittaker served catered chicken potpies, which are perfect for transporting because you can bring them out piping hot and they’ll be warm when everyone sits down to eat 40 minutes later. Plus, what could be better than meat, pastry, and vegetables all in one pretty package? Add a salad and a loaf of bread, and you’re good to go!
Yields 5 to 6 individual pies or 1 large pie
Pot Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 ½ pounds all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup cold water
Directions
- Cut butter into small pieces.
- Combine butter, flour, and salt in a large bowl.
- With your hands, mix flour, butter, and salt together until butter is pea size. Do not overwork or crust will be tough.
- Slowly add just enough water for mixture to come together and form a ball. It should be smooth and not tacky. Form dough into one large round or 5 to 6 small rounds. Wrap in plastic wrap, put in refrigerator, and let rest.
Note: Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
- ¼ pound butter
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon. nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon. Old Bay Seasoning
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ pound all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ quarts chicken stock
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
Directions
- Roast chicken. Let cool and pick meat, discarding the skin and bones. Make sure to reserve any chicken fat.
- In heavy-bottomed pan, melt butter with chicken fat. Add carrots, celery, onion, thyme, nutmeg, Old Bay Seasoning, and wine. Sauté just until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in flour to make a thick paste. Turn heat to low, and stir in cold stock. Bring sauce back to a simmer and a thicker sauce will form. Fold in chicken meat and buttermilk. Bring back to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in frozen peas and corn. Cool mixture completely before making the pies.
- While mixture is cooling, roll out pie dough. Coat rolling area with all-purpose flour. Roll out 1 large or 5 to 6 individual rounds. (Size of each pie round depends on size of baking dish. Make sure to roll it larger than dish so you can crimp edges.)
- When pie filling is cool, place in one large pie dish or 5 to 6 ramekins, and cover with dough. Neatly crimp edges of dough to form a seal around dish. Place in freezer, and freeze completely before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Place frozen pie(s) on a sheet pan to avoid spills. Bake until golden brown and bubbly (1 hour or more).
Recipe by Babette’s Kitchen in Millbrook, New York, babetteskitchen.com
Photography by Monica Buck | Styling by Nan Whitney
