savory chicken pot pies

How To Make savory chicken pot pies

• 1

  This refined version of an old American classic has a rich, flaky, meaty-tasting crust, thanks to its mixture of lard and chicken fat.
• 2

  The latter is a handy byproduct of the precooking of the chicken the day before.
• 3

  Make sure the chicken fat is good and cold when making the crust.
• 4

  Season chicken parts to taste with salt and pepper.
• 5

  Melt 2 tablespoons butter and oil together in soup pot.
• 6

  Add chicken and brown.
• 7

  Add chicken broth, quartered onion, celery chunks and carrot chunks and bring to boil.
• 8

  Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender, 20-30 minutes.
• 9

  Let cool.
• 10

  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 11

  Next day, skim cold chicken fat off top of broth.
• 12

  Reserve 1/4 cup fat for making rich pastry crust.
• 13

  Keep reserved chicken fat in refrigerator.
• 14

  Heat broth and remove chicken.
• 15

  Skin and bone chicken parts.
• 16

  Discard skin and bones.
• 17

  Cut meat into 2\" chunks and set aside.
• 18

  Strain broth.
• 19

  Reduce over high heat to 3 cups.
• 20

  Combine 1/4 cup melted butter and flour in saucepan and gradually stir in broth.
• 21

  Bring to boil and boil 1 minute.
• 22

  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 23

  Stir in tarragon.
• 24

  Cook pearl onions, potato, sliced carrots and broccoli separately in boiling water until tender, 5-10 minutes each.
• 25

  Drain.
• 26

  Toss together cooked chicken, cooked vegetables and mushrooms.
• 27

  Stir in chicken-tarragon sauce.
• 28

  Divide into 4 (2 cup) oval casseroles.
• 29

  Make rich pastry crust.
• 30

  Divide dough in half and gather into 2 small flattened rounds.
• 31

  Roll first half on lightly floured board to 1/4\" thick.
• 32

  Cut dough to fit tops of 2 casseroles, leaving enough dough to overhang edges by 1\".
• 33

  Repeat with second half of dough.
• 34

  Brush edges of casseroles with egg yolk and place crusts atop casseroles.
• 35

  Flute edges.
• 36

  Make 4 triangular cuts in center of each crust and fold back tips of triangles.
• 37

  Brush crust with egg yolk (save egg whites for another use).
• 38

  Bake at 400 until crust is golden brown and contents hot and bubbly, 20-30 minutes.
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