Serves 6
When a chicken pie comes out of the oven in our house, everyone races to the table. It's the most requested winter comfort food and makes a dramatic presentation. While a crust topping is enticing, you can shortcut the work with biscuits or mashed potatoes. The easiest alternative to a crust is sliced potatoes. Make the whole pie in advance without the topping to get a head start if you're serving this for a party. Refrigerate the baking dish, covered with foil, overnight; the next day, add the sliced potatoes and bake the pie. Another easy lift for this dish is to buy baby carrots and peeled pearl onions or use frozen. The trick to cooking chicken breasts, which are a favorite for this pie, is to start with skin-on, bone-in breasts, cook them in chicken stock briefly, then let the chicken rest in the hot liquid, covered with a lid, for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. This low and slow heat has become my go-to method because the meat is always juicy and tender. Carrots, pearl onions, and celery go right in the pot with the breasts, so everything cooks together. You make a simple sauce with the cooking liquid, shred the meat off the chicken bones, and top the pie with yellow potatoes that are thinly sliced. To crisp the potatoes, run the baking dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes, then grab a big kitchen spoon and dig in. You'll delight your guests.
| 3 | split chicken breasts (halves), skin and bones intact (about 2 pounds) |
| 1 | quart chicken stock |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 1 | pound baby carrots or 4 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch lengths |
| 3 | stalks celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch lengths |
| 8 | ounces pearl onions, peeled |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 1 | cup frozen peas |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
| 6 | tablespoons flour |
| 3 | medium Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into thin slices |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (for garnish) |
1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, place the chicken breasts, skin side down. Add the stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Skim the surface thoroughly. Add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper with the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves. Add up to 1/2 cup water, or just enough to barely cover the chicken and vegetables. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Cover it and let the chicken and vegetables rest in the broth for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165 degrees when a thermometer is inserted into the thickest part.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a bowl. Leave until cool enough to handle. Discard the bay leaves from the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
5. Set a colander over a bowl and drain the vegetables, reserving the stock. Spread the drained vegetables over the bottom of the baking dish. Distribute the frozen peas over them. Add the chicken pieces. Toss with your hands to mix.
6. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour, and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles but does not brown. Whisk in 3 cups of the stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Simmer the sauce, whisking often, for 4 minutes, or until it thickens. Taste for seasoning; the sauce shouldn't have a floury taste. Add salt and pepper.
7. Pour the sauce evenly over the meat and vegetables.
8. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange the potatoes in a slightly overlapping pattern on the chicken and vegetables. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and the filling is bubbling at the edges. (Total baking time is about 60 minutes.)
10. Turn on the broiler. Broil the dish for 2 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it does not burn, or until the edges of the potatoes start to brown. Remove from the oven and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Serves 6
When a chicken pie comes out of the oven in our house, everyone races to the table. It's the most requested winter comfort food and makes a dramatic presentation. While a crust topping is enticing, you can shortcut the work with biscuits or mashed potatoes. The easiest alternative to a crust is sliced potatoes. Make the whole pie in advance without the topping to get a head start if you're serving this for a party. Refrigerate the baking dish, covered with foil, overnight; the next day, add the sliced potatoes and bake the pie. Another easy lift for this dish is to buy baby carrots and peeled pearl onions or use frozen. The trick to cooking chicken breasts, which are a favorite for this pie, is to start with skin-on, bone-in breasts, cook them in chicken stock briefly, then let the chicken rest in the hot liquid, covered with a lid, for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. This low and slow heat has become my go-to method because the meat is always juicy and tender. Carrots, pearl onions, and celery go right in the pot with the breasts, so everything cooks together. You make a simple sauce with the cooking liquid, shred the meat off the chicken bones, and top the pie with yellow potatoes that are thinly sliced. To crisp the potatoes, run the baking dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes, then grab a big kitchen spoon and dig in. You'll delight your guests.
| 3 | split chicken breasts (halves), skin and bones intact (about 2 pounds) |
| 1 | quart chicken stock |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 1 | pound baby carrots or 4 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch lengths |
| 3 | stalks celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch lengths |
| 8 | ounces pearl onions, peeled |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 1 | cup frozen peas |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
| 6 | tablespoons flour |
| 3 | medium Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into thin slices |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (for garnish) |
1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, place the chicken breasts, skin side down. Add the stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Skim the surface thoroughly. Add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper with the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves. Add up to 1/2 cup water, or just enough to barely cover the chicken and vegetables. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Cover it and let the chicken and vegetables rest in the broth for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165 degrees when a thermometer is inserted into the thickest part.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a bowl. Leave until cool enough to handle. Discard the bay leaves from the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
5. Set a colander over a bowl and drain the vegetables, reserving the stock. Spread the drained vegetables over the bottom of the baking dish. Distribute the frozen peas over them. Add the chicken pieces. Toss with your hands to mix.
6. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour, and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles but does not brown. Whisk in 3 cups of the stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Simmer the sauce, whisking often, for 4 minutes, or until it thickens. Taste for seasoning; the sauce shouldn't have a floury taste. Add salt and pepper.
7. Pour the sauce evenly over the meat and vegetables.
8. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange the potatoes in a slightly overlapping pattern on the chicken and vegetables. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and the filling is bubbling at the edges. (Total baking time is about 60 minutes.)
10. Turn on the broiler. Broil the dish for 2 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it does not burn, or until the edges of the potatoes start to brown. Remove from the oven and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.