Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is one of those winter-comfort meals, which is surprisingly simple to make. Throw in whatever veggies you have on hand, such as string beans, corn or left over squash. When filling the dish with the chicken mixture, make sure you don't over fill the dish...fill the dish 3/4 full, allowing the puff pastry to rise and puff up.

If you don't let the sauce thicken in the pot, it won't thicken in the oven. If your 'gravy' is too thick, thin it out with a little more chicken stock. If it's not thick enough, keep whisking until thickened, or in a small bowl add some butter and flour, press together with a fork until mixed, then add to the gravy which should thicken it up.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 bone-in chicken breasts, skin on (or alternatively, left over rotisserie or roasted chicken recipe)

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 large clove of garlic, minced

3 large potatoes

1 can of peas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp of butter

2 tbsp of flour

2 cups of chicken stock or broth

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

Few pinches each of dried parsley, basil and garlic powder

1 sheet of puff pastry (225 grams, thawed)

1 egg & a splash of water, for the egg wash

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Peel off one side of the skin on the chicken breast, leaving the other side intact. Season with salt and pepper. Bring skin back over, protecting the chicken breast from drying out in the oven, and season the outside with salt and pepper too. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Do the same for the other chicken breast. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 170 F. When fully cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest on a cutting board for at least 15 minutes, then take the meat off the bone, discard the skins, cut into chunks.

Step 2: While the chicken is cooking, place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water and cook until a knife can easily go through them. Drain and cool, then cut each in half then into chunks; place in a bowl for later use.

Step 3: Add the chicken stock to a pot and let heat on the stove until hot. Also, change the oven temp to 375F.

Step 4: Place olive oil in a pot over medium heat and allow to heat up. Add the onions and carrots, season with salt and pepper and let saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, mix and saute for another minute. Remove and place in a bowl for later use.

Step 5: Using the same pot for the veggies, melt butter and add flour. Whisk to combine, cook for a minute or 2. Don't let the flour get too dark since this means it's burnt! Whisk in half the chicken stock and let thicken. It should thicken almost right away. Add the remaining chicken stock. It will take a few minutes for the rest to thicken up.

Step 6: After a few minutes, add the reserved carrots, garlic and onion mixture to the thickened chicken stock, add the can of peas, chunks of potato and chopped chicken. Season with more pepper, then add parsley, basil and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Step 7: Place the chicken mixture into a large, preferably round oven-safe dish. In a small bowl, crack the egg, add a splash of water, whisk to combine. With a brush, brush the edge of the dish to moisten. Place the puff pastry over the contents of the dish. Make sure the puff pastry does not touch the chicken mixture. Press down on the edges of the dish, so the pastry adheres to the dish. Brush the pastry with egg wash. Make a few slits in the pastry to allow steam to come out of the dish.

Step 8: Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, and golden in colour. Serve immediately and most importantly ENJOY!