Smoked Chicken Pot Pie
I smoked a yard bird the other day for dinner but had about half of the chicken left over. So I thought it would be time to make another smoked chicken pot pie with a rich cream sauce. (This recipe serves four.)
3 cups smoked and pulled chicken
1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1 cup peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup peeled and diced turnip
1/4 cup minced shallot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (your favorite)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground smoked black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked coarse kosher salt
1 (9-inch) pie crust
For the cream sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced smoked garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1 cup whole milk, warmed
1 cup chicken stock, warmed
Blanch the carrots, potatoes and turnip in salted water until barely tender, about eight to ten minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. In the same saucepan, blanch the celery for four minutes. Drain.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the shallot. Cook briefly until the shallot wilts. Add the flour, smoked garlic, thyme and rosemary. Stir until the mixture forms a blonde roux. Gradually add the milk and stir until smooth. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, for about three to four minutes or until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thin, thicken it with a beurre manié (equal parts of flour and butter mixed into a paste).
Add the chicken, carrots, potato, turnip, shallot, celery, mushroom, , bell pepper and peas to the sauce. Fold to combine. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Pour the filling into an 8 1/2- by 8 1/2-inch casserole dish (or individual serving-size casseroles) and cover with the pastry sheet. Trim the edges and cut slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape.
Place the pie on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated 375 degrees F. oven for about 45 minutes or until the pie is thoroughly cooked and the crust lightly browned. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest for ten minutes before serving.
Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place pies on baking sheets; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.; bake for another 70 to 80 minutes or until crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165 degrees F.
Pot pie cream sauce
Vegetables and chicken added to the sauce
Ladled into a casserole dish
After baking 45 minutes
Ready for dinner