Chicken Pot Pie

This year, I’ve become a chicken pot pie lover. I mean, who doesn’t love chicken pot pie, really? But I feel like my chicken pot pie skills have finally matured into consistent, wonderful chicken-ie, vegetable-ie, creamy-saucy, flaky-buttery-crust goodness.

I have my friend Shaye to thank for this obsession. Her flaky butter pie crust changed my life. As did her cheese and herb biscuits. As did her coconut cacao truffles. Oh boy. If you haven’t bought her cookbook yet, I swear you will be so happy if you do. I’ve cooked every-single-recipe-in-that-book and loved every-single-recipe-in-that-book.

Anyway. Oh boy. Where was I?

Oh! Side note. I brought a tupperware with leftover chicken pot pie to a picnic with friends once, and when one of my very extroverted guy friends asked me what I was eating, I said, “Chicken pot pie,” and he—without missing a beat—replied, “My three favorite things!” I was like, “Huh?” and then *lightbulb*! I got it, and the joke was really funny. Anyway. I thought that was pretty funny.

ANYWAYYYYYYYYYY. PIE. Recipe. Here goes!

The most important part of chicken pot pie is the chicken. I prefer to buy pasture-raised chicken. If you can’t get that, organic is a good second option. I choose my chicken based on two things: diet and lifestyle. Chicken are omnivores, not vegetarians. They should live outside and be allowed to peck and scratch in the dirt and eat bugs. Pastured chickens these days are usually supplemented with some type of feed. Ask your farmer if the feed they use is organic, non-GMO.

In most cases, pasture-raised chickens can only be attained directly from a farmer at the farmers market or if you seek out a farmer online.

I’ve written another post on pastured chicken with more information HERE.

Here are some sources for finding pastured, sustainable meat close to you:
Eat Wild
Local Harvest
Farm Match

I also encourage you to get on the newsletter for your local Weston A. Price Foundation chapter. They will send you tons of great local food resources straight to your inbox!

Roasting the chicken

I like to start with a whole chicken and roast it. I’ve roasted chicken this way time after time, and every time it makes a tender, juicy, chicken with meat that falls off the bone.

First, preheat the oven to 375˚F.

Then, take a defrosted whole chicken, about 3-4 lbs, and rinse it under cold water and dry it with paper towels. Rub the entire chicken with ghee (buy here) or butter. Lightly dust the outside with sea salt and herbs. Use 1 TBSP of sea salt within the body cavity. Place in a roasting pan or dutch oven (I use my cast iron dutch oven), and fill the bottom of the pan with 1/2 inch of water. If you’re using a roasting pan with a rack, you don’t need to do this. I just use my dutch oven and use the water to create a sort of broth and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Roast the chicken for 2.5 hours, until the top is nice and browned. *While the chicken is roasting, prepare and chill the pie crust.

After removing from the oven, let the bird cool for 30 minutes before pulling the meat from the bones. Reserve the bones for chicken stock.

Flaky, Buttery Pie Crust

1/2 cup cold filtered water + 4 ice cubes
1-1/2 cups einkorn flour (buy here)
1/2 TBSP coconut sugar or organic sugar (buy here)
1/2 tsp sea salt (buy here)
8 TBSP or one stick COLD unsalted pastured butter or pastured lard (buy here)

Set aside the ice water in a cup, and combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, and cut into pea-sized pieces using a pastry cutter. Gradually add one TBSP of water at a time, mixing after each addition, until the dough is moistened and pliable. You will probably not need all the water. Only add enough so that the dough is completely mixed.

Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

When you’re ready to roll it out, make sure you have a thoroughly floured surface. Then, you’ll just roll it out and put it on top of the pie.

Chicken Pot Pie: Ingredients

One big ol’ hunk of butter (eh, about 4-6 TBSP)
1 large onion
4 large carrots
4 stalks celery
5 red potatoes
2 sweet/tart apples
1 cup peas
1 whole bulb of garlic (with around 8 individual cloves)
Fresh or dried herbs (basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, etc.)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Black pepper
3 lbs shredded chicken
3-4 TBSP einkorn flour *You can also use arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce.
1-1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of cream

Chicken Pot Pie: Instructions

Dice the onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, and apples into 1/2 inch cubes, and sauté in the pan with a big ol’ hunk of butter. Add more butter if you want. No one is complainin’. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan when the veggies are starting to soften. Also add the peas. I like to add the garlic later like this so that it doesn’t burn and turn bitter. I like to use as much garlic as possible. You can never have too much garlic. Mix in the herbs, salt, and pepper. Use more or less salt and pepper, according to your taste.

Preheat your oven to 375˚F.

When the vegetables are sufficiently soft, add the shredded chicken. Sprinkle the einkorn flour all over the chicken before mixing it all together. Then, add the chicken stock and cream. Mix together and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The flour should thicken the sauce. The sauce should not cover the vegetables. It should sit slightly below the level of the vegetables. If the sauce is too thin after 10 minutes, add a bit more flour. If the sauce is too thick, add more chicken stock, one TBSP at a time and continue to simmer for a little bit.

When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and put the crust on top. If you haven’t rolled out your crust already, do this now.

Put your pie in the oven for 45 minutes. If the top isn’t browned at the end of 45 minutes, place it under the broiler on HI for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

I’m not going to lie. Chicken pot pie is an all day project (if you’re doing it all from scratch), but it’s worth it!!

My boyfriend Josh, who was a vegetarian for 12 years before this year, has now said that my chicken pot pie is his favorite food! What an endorsement!

Anyway, take care friends! Thanks for reading and cooking with me. <3

Chicken Pot Pie

 

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Author: Revived Kitchen

Ingredients

Flaky, Buttery Pie Crust

• ½ cup cold filtered water + 4 ice cubes
• 1-1/2 cups einkorn flour (buy here)
• ½ TBSP coconut sugar or organic sugar (buy here)
• ½ tsp sea salt (buy here)
• 8 TBSP or one stick COLD unsalted pastured butter or pastured lard (buy here)

Chicken Pot Pie: Ingredients

• One big ol' hunk of butter (eh, about 4-6 TBSP)
• 1 large onion
• 4 large carrots
• 4 stalks celery
• 5 red potatoes
• 2 sweet/tart apples
• 1 cup peas
• 1 whole bulb of garlic (with around 8 individual cloves)
• Fresh or dried herbs (basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, etc.)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 3 lbs shredded chicken
• 3-4 TBSP einkorn flour *You can also use arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce.
• 1-1/2 cups of chicken stock
• ½ cup of cream

Instructions

Flaky Crust

1. Set aside the ice water in a cup, and combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, and cut into pea-sized pieces using a pastry cutter.
3. Gradually add one TBSP of water at a time, mixing after each addition, until the dough is moistened and pliable.
4. You will probably not need all the water. Only add enough so that the dough is completely mixed.
5. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Or if you don't have that kind of time, pop it in the freezer until you're ready to roll it out. But don't let it freeze. Keep an eye on it, you know?
6. When you're ready to roll it out, make sure you have a thoroughly floured surface. Then, you'll just roll it out and put it on top of the pie.

Pot Pie

1. Preheat your oven to 375˚F.
2. Dice the onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, and apples into ½ inch cubes, and sauté in the pan with a big ol’ hunk of butter. Add more butter if you want. No one is complainin’.
3. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan when the veggies are starting to soften. Also add the peas. I like to add the garlic later so that it doesn’t burn and turn bitter. I like to use as much garlic as possible. You can never have too much garlic.
4. Mix in the herbs, salt, and pepper. Use more or less salt and pepper, according to your taste.
5. When the vegetables are sufficiently soft, add the shredded chicken.
6. Sprinkle the einkorn flour all over the chicken before mixing it all together.
7. Then, add the chicken stock and cream.
8. Mix together and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The flour should thicken the sauce. The sauce should not cover the vegetables. It should sit slightly below the level of the vegetables.
9. If the sauce is too thin after 10 minutes, add a bit more flour. If the sauce is too thick, add more chicken stock, one TBSP at a time and continue to simmer for a little bit.
10. When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and put the crust on top. If you haven’t rolled out your crust already, do this now.
11. Put your pie in the oven for 45 minutes. If the top isn’t browned at the end of 45 minutes, place it under the broiler on HI for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

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