Chicken Pot Pie with Herb-Infused Crust

Ingredients: Filling

1 chicken cut into small pieces

2 yellow onions chopped

1 cup each butternut, sweet potato, carrot,Yukon gold potato cubed 1/2 inch

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup butter

1cup each celery and brown mushrooms chopped

1/2 cup flour

3-4 cups chicken stock

1 tsp thyme, sage, marjoram or 1 Tbs Bells seasoning

Crust:

2 1/2 cup flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter cut 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup cream cheese

1 Tbs. julienned sage

1tsp chopped thyme

1/4 cup cream

Comfort food...We all need it. We all want it...and then there are times that we need it more than others. There is something about a pot pie that remains, to this day, evocative of homemade comfort food. Wonderful especially on a cold fall or winter day or when we are feeling blue.

I think we have already established how I feel about comfort foods. I love them and I think this familiar blend of poultry, vegetables and pastry is a part of American culture.

The crust recipe comes from Four and Twenty Blackbirds http://www.birdsblack.com/ a great pie shop in Brooklyn. It gives these pies such a rich crumbly crust that you can incorporate any fresh herbs that you like. I prefer sage and thyme with this. Such a great topper for the flavorful filling of a variety of sweet and savory roasted veggies all in a velvety filling. You really want a crust that you can crack into and this one is it. A simple impressive dish that can be prepared ahead.

Preheat oven to 425
Toss vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn out onto baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes. Turning midway. Prepare crusts by placing flour and salt in food processor. Cut the very cold butter into 1/2 inch cubes. Add butter first then the cream cheese and herbs pulse to small peas. Add enough cream to bring the dough together. Roll out on floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles about 1/2 inch larger than your ramekins. Bake at 375 until very lightly browned Set aside.

Melt butter in skillet. Saute onions, celery and mushrooms until slightly browned. Add your herbs or 1 Tbs of Bells seasoning. Add flour and cook for several minutes. Add the chicken stock one cup at a time stirring until smooth and you reach your desired consistency. Check your seasoning add salt and cracked black pepper as needed. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

Add chicken and roasted vegetables mix together. Put mixture into the ramekins. You can stop at this point and wait to finsh. Bake the filled ramikins at 375 until edges are bubbling. Place the crust on the top. Brush with an egg wash. Bake until golden brown.

You can make these with homemade chicken stock and roasted chicken or canned chicken stock and a rotisserie chicken from you local market. The effort it takes to have the mise en place makes up for the do ahead that this meal provides.

In the winter season we look for something to ground us in our lives. Food can have that effect. Those seasonal aromas tether us to the earth in a very real way. Enjoy this meal with a nice warm fire and good friends and feel how wonderful the home hearth is.



Enjoy!