Poulet a la Francais Pot Pie
Every once in a while I have random left overs that I KNOW I can do something with, but I have no idea what. OR: I have too many ideas and I just stand at the island or in front of the fridge, frozen. (okay, that would mean I’m standing in front of the freezer) hah
Tonight’s random left over was…. winner winner, chicken dinner!
I’ve been on a roll making enchiladas… (thanks to my new found Mexican roots!) and I found myself with a whole lotta shredded chicken. Quesadillas weren’t on the table, as I’ve had my fill of Mexican cuisine for a bit. I thought about Chicken a la King, but I didn’t have any pastry puff, nor did I want to go buy any. (One of my goals this year is to USE WHAT I HAVE!) And then it hit me: I have all the ingredients for Chicken Pot Pies!
I remembered I happen to have a fennel bulb that I didn’t know what to do with, and I love cooking with wine…which led to the herbs de provence that I never get to use, and THEN, I found fresh tarragon in my spice drawer. Voila! I could make them french. So I did.
Ingredients:
Dough: make fresh, use ready - to - roll Pillsbury Pie Crusts. You do you. You’ll need enough for 2 disks ( bottom & top ) or enough for bottoms and tops for individual containers.
4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie is perfect for this, or cook up your own couple of breasts)
6 TBLS unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped (I used a vidalia)
1/2 chopped fennel bulb (not the stems or fronds)
2 medium or 4 small carrots, sliced
8 oz of sliced fresh mushrooms, white, bella, or a combination
3-5 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup of white wine (optional)
1/3 cup of flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp herbs de provence (you can skip it if you dont have it)
1 cup frozen petite peas (don’t thaw!)
2 TBLS freshly chopped tarragon
2 TBLS freshly chopped parsley
1 egg for an egg wash (which i never do, as there’s an egg allergy in the house)
Instructions:
In a dutch oven or good-sized pot, melt the 6 TBLS butter. Add the chopped onion, chopped fennel and sliced carrots. Saute for 8 minutes over medium heat until soft.
Add sliced mushrooms & minced garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft.
Add the 1/3 cup of flour and stir to coat (approximately 2 minutes) Add white wine and be sure it’s cooked off. Then - slowly - add the chicken stock, followed by the heavy cream. Bring to simmer & cook until it’s thicker (maybe a couple minutes or so). Add salt & pepper, and the herbs de provence.
Stir in the cooked chicken, frozen peas, fresh tarragon and parsley. Once it’s combined, then turn off the heat or remove from the stovetop to cool.
Roll out your chilled pie crust to fit the containers you have chosen. If you going old school, use a deep 9” pie plate. Remember to seal the crust to the pot pie and make small slits in the top for the steam to escape.
OPTIONAL: Brush top of crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt & freshly ground pepper.
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. If the crust isn’t golden brown, give it another 5. If it’s browning too fast, cover edges with foil. Once you take it out of the oven, LET IT REST for 15 minutes… then slice & serve.
It’s amazing, and definitely company worthy. Serve with a salad!
OR! skip the pie crust and serve the chicken filling over biscuits, pastry puffs, or noodles! If you are so inclined… Cholula (the original) or Red Hot gives it a great zing.
FYI: You can always use whatever veggies you have on hand. Try cut green beans, or asparagus tips, or a medley of mushrooms… maybe some roasted red peppers!? It’s the perfect dish to let your creativity flow.
Let me know if you try it!
