Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumI'm making chicken pot pie for a group in a few weeks and was thinking of using puff pastry
for the crust. Good idea or no? If yes, should it be rolled out or laid on as a piece (seems a bit thick to me but some on-line recipes suggest this). Am comfortable working with puff pastry and usually love the taste.
I'm also open to any alternate crust suggestions you might offer. Whats your favorite buttery topping for a (13"x9" pot pie?
Thanks for the help-will check back in tomorrow.
Not that it really matters but this is my first thread on DU3. Cheers!
The empressof all
(29,098 posts)Of course only a top crust and I roll the pastry to fit the pan size. It will be lovely.
Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)and over-think. Its puff pastry, I can't imagine it going wrong.
Ruby Reason
(242 posts)Being vegetarian I make vegetable pot pie, but usually with a boxed pie crust in a regular pie pan. This looks yummy and sounds easy. Thanks.
The empressof all
(29,098 posts)Just make sure you get the vegan puff pastry. I actually think Pepperidge Farms is veggie...but I may just be not remembering correctly.
Ruby Reason
(242 posts)I would love to hear your recipe. Mostly for the base, do you do vegetable broth or marinara sauce or something?
Melissa G
(10,170 posts)of which you type. How do you do yours? How would you integrate the puff pastry?
Ruby Reason
(242 posts)You can use fresh or frozen veggies. But if you use fresh is is a good idea to steam them first, especially carrots so they are soft. I like the old fashioned standards...peas, corn, carrots, and potatoes. An added favorite is mushrooms, button or for more flavor, baby bellas. I usually saute a little onion to go in too.
The base is mushroom gravy (poppy seed works also if you don't have anyone with braces in the family). My family likes it with 1/2 cheese sauce for the gravy. Since I'm lousy at getting a smooth cheese sauce I cheat and use Campbell's cheddar cheese soup. Then I throw it into a pie shell, top and bake.
I haven't tried the puff pastry yet so I can't really speak for that. But it looks like a simple top crust on a casserole dish full of whatever pie filling you like.
Ruby Reason
(242 posts)We grow a lot of our own herbs and of course they make a big difference. Put in your favorites...we like rosemary, parsley, corriander, a little cayenne pepper, and coarsely ground black pepper.
Melissa G
(10,170 posts)sounds yummy. I have herbs in the back yard to snip from also.
Callalily
(14,887 posts)I've been craving a good pot pie for weeks, and this looks simply delicious!
Melissa G
(10,170 posts)and inspirational... You have me thinking now.
Welcome and thanks for the thread!
cbayer
(146,218 posts)I am not good with puff pastry and my freezer doesn't freeze all that well, so the puff pastry was kind of a mess when I tried to smear it on the top.
Nonetheless, it was delicious!
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)from america's test kitchen
Serves 6
This recipe relies on two unusual ingredients: soy sauce and tomato paste. Do not omit them. They dont convey their distinctive tastes but greatly deepen the savory flavor of the filling. When making the topping, do not substitute milk or half-and-half for the heavy cream.
INGREDIENTS
Filling
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)
2 small celery ribs , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
Table salt and ground black pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and sliced thin
1t easpoon soy sauce (see note)
1 teaspoon tomato paste (see note)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 cup frozen baby peas
Crumble Topping
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8t easpoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (see note)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to ¾ inch each onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.
3. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.
5. Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.
6. Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve
Bolo Boffin
(23,796 posts)Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 02:57 AM - Edit history (1)
I was going to make one that I found online. It was from Cooking for Engineers, and it's actually where the photo in the OP came from.
But I love some America's Test Kitchen. I have to go back out and get a couple of things -- tomato paste, baking powder. But ooooh, that looks good.
ETA: I've got this in the oven right now. (I work third shift and I'm off tonight.) This is a very fun recipe to make, and the only trouble is sitting there looking at the crumble topping while everything else is cooking. It's basically sausage balls without the sausage, and I had a lot of grief trying to restrict myself to nibbling on only the "burnt" parts. And then the parts that should have burned, but didn't, so they were obviously defective.
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)i've learned so much from america's test kitchen, i love them so much.
i'm glad i could share this with you
edit: what did you think of the final product?
Bolo Boffin
(23,796 posts)This is the best chicken pot pie I have ever eaten. Thanks so much for the recipe. It's loads of fun and comes out splendidly.
The store didn't have any fresh parsley, so I made do with the fresh rosemary I already had. I had cooked the chicken with rosemary a couple of days before, so needless to say, it was aight. Whew.
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)it really is incredible. let me know how it goes over with the group.
Major Nikon
(36,818 posts)Many associate it with sweet dishes, but it has just as many uses in savory ones. Don't be afraid to experiment with it.
Lugnut
(9,791 posts)I haven't tried it but I can't imagine that it's not good.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/savory-herb-crusted-chicken-pot-pie/detail.aspx
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)when you can make it easy on yourself. Put the stuff inside the first pie dish. Then take the pie shell out of the 2d one and put it on the first one and seal around the pie shell. Then put a couple of cuts on top. Done and delicious.