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Chicken Pot Pie
What Kraft did to macaroni and cheese, Swanson did to the chicken pot pie: they mass-marketed a mediocre version of a classic that then became the benchmark for the dish. But whenever we serve chicken pot pie for a family dinner we can't make enough of it. It's a comforting dish, whether you dress it up or down. This version includes asparagus and sage along with the more traditional carrots and peas; it isn't exactly fancy, but it's far from plain. You can make the filling up to a day ahead and assemble it shortly before baking.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Season the chicken stock with salt. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the carrots, reduce the heat to medium, and boil gently for 4 minutes. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl with the peas and asparagus. Set aside.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil while you make a small incision with a paring knife around the root end of each pearl onion. Drop into the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, until just tender. Remove from the water and transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water, then drain. Peel the onions and add to the bowl with the carrots, peas, and asparagus. Add the chicken and stir together. Season the chicken and vegetables with salt and pepper
3. Make the sauce. In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon and cook until the roux is just beginning to color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chicken stock all at once. Return to medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often to make sure the sauce doesn't stick to the sides and bottom of the pan and scorch. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Stir in the sage and set aside to steep for 5 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraîche.
4. Butter four 1-1/2-cup ramekins. Scrape the sauce into the bowl with the chicken and vegetables and mix together thoroughly. Distribute among the 4 ramekins. Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator while you roll out the puff pastry.
5. Roll out the puff pastry into a thin square or rectangle large enough to cut into 4 equal pieces that can be draped over the ramekins.
6. Whisk the egg and water together and brush the outside rim of each ramekin. Set the pastry on top with the dough draping over the sides. Press around the sides of the ramekins to seal and pinch an attractive lip around the edges. Pierce the top with the tip of a paring knife and set in the freezer for 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C; Gas Mark 7). Place the ramekins on a sheet tray. Brush the tops with the egg wash and place in the oven. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve hot, in the ramekins.
Variations: You can also make one large pot pie in a 2-quart baking dish or soufflé dish. You'll get 6 smaller servings out of it if you make it this way. Butter the dish, spoon in the filling, roll out the puff pastry to cover the dish, and proceed as above, but bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.
