Before I start singing the praises of this chicken pot pie, I’d just like you to take a minute and notice how gorgeous this thing looks. Please, notice that flaky golden crust. Look at that lovely flaky salt. And if you scroll down a bit, you’ll get to see the creamy filling. Oh! Is there any food more comforting than a hearty chicken pot pie? If there is, I can’t think of it.
It’s a classic recipe, so there’s millions out there, and if you’re a home cook, you probably don’t even need one. Everything is measured with the heart and new ingredients can be easily added and old ones can be easily substituted. This version from Cafehaillee is a marvel. I’m a huge Hailee fan and will always vouch for her recipes. This one calls for paprika, which goes so well with chicken. A subtle but wonderful addition! I’ve made some modest modifications, so I’ll offer a few of my tips, starting with the crust.
flaky puff pastry
This is a food blog, so it’s no surprise that I like making everything from scratch! When I think of making a specific recipe, it never occurs to me to get the store-bought version because my brain goes straight into conjuring up all the ingredients I’ll need to start building that thing from zero. It’s a natural phenomenal I like to call blissful masochism. Some of us are apparently born with it.
So, whenever I make chicken pot pie, I like making Claire Saffitz’s flaky pie crust. It’s my go-to recipe. But for this pie, I used store-bought puff pastry and gosh, what a concept! Even though I’ll always advise you to make your puff pastry from scratch – perhaps keeping one or two in the freezer for a rainy day – I’ll also say this: if you want to save time and not overthink it: get the store-bought one. Most people won’t even notice! But in case you want to try Claire’s, here’s the recipe.
By the way, you can see below another version of a chicken pot pie, where the recipe was entirely eyeballed, except for the crust, which was made following Claire’s recipe.
Since this is not a double-crust chicken pot pie, I like keeping it simple and rustic. Using a cast iron here is great because you can just pop in the oven without having to use a baking dish. Just roll out that puff pastry sheet and roughly trim the edges, and it’ll look beautiful.
Hailee’s recipe calls for sour cream, which I sometimes substitute for creme fraiche if I happen to have it in the fridge. I also omitted the celery, because I didn’t have any, but I kept the fennel. Much like Hailee, I always opt to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts because all that fat and bones impart so much more flavor.
But one thing that stands out in the recipe is the lemon zest. It brings out the flavors and the result is such a bright filling. I also omitted the bay leaf, but if you want to make Hailee’s exact version, I’ve linked it above.
Well, I do hope you try this lovely recipe, and if you do, please let me know in the comments!!
Chicken Paprikash Pot Pie
1
pot pie15
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 lb chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
3 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
5 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup sour cream (or creme fraiche)
3/4 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, zested
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
flaky salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Butter either a deep dish pie pan or a small baking dish (8×11). I used an 8-inch cast iron skillet (not buttering necessary in that case)
- Season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in the cast iron over medium heat. (use a large a large pot if you're using a baking dish)
- Add in chicken thighs, skin side down. Allow it cook without flipping, until deeply brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Flip and continue to cook, adjusting heat as needed, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes more. Remove and set aside.
- Add celery, carrots, onion, fennel and garlic to the same skillet with the drippings. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the veggies start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in butter.
- Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bubbling and thick.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
- While sauce simmers, remove skin and bones from chicken and shred.Stir shredded chicken into the sauce and turn off heat.
- Add in sour cream, peas, fresh herbs, and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If you're using a baking dish, pour filling into the prepared dish. Otherwise, drape puff pastry over the filling, trimming the edges to fit - it doesn’t have to fit perfectly, you just want the top to be fully covered.
- Brush egg wash all over the crust and sprinkle with flake salt.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve!
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