English Style Two Crust Chicken Pot Pie.- If you have to go... go all the way!!!

 English Style Two Crust Chicken Pot Pie.- This takes a while but it's totally worth it!!!

    I started this recipe by basing it on the classic English Style of Pot Pie since I had lots of Leeks and wanted to use them because a meat pie truly deserves leeks! Anyway, I had all the ingredients and so began my foray into deliciousness. Let's start:

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE STOCK: Yes, fresh stock adds so much flavor!!

1 Whole Chicken, cut in parts, include the carcass 

1 Celery stalk, snap in two, include celery leaves if you have them

1 Large Carrot, cut in half

1 Onion, cut in half

3-5 Bay Leaves, depending on their size

1 tsp Whole Peppercorns

1 Small stalk of Parsley Leaves

FOR THE FILLING:

50 g AP Flour (All Purpose)

50 g Butter

2-4 Leeks, depending on size, remove tough parts, slice fine

1 Carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 cup Peas, cooked or frozen

2-5 Garlic Cloves, peeled, smashed and cut into small pieces

2-4 Tblsp Olive Oil or enough to lightly cover bottom of pan

250 ml White Wine, your choice

250 ml Heavy Cream

1 Tblsp Tarragon, chopped

1-2 Tblsp White Wine Vinegar or Lemon Juice

1-2 tsp of Chile de Arbol powder

• 1 egg, beaten
• Rosemary taken off the stalk and chopped
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Salt and Pepper to taste

• FOR THE PASTRY:
• You can buy Puff Pastry or Pie Crust at the store, make your favorite type of pie crust, but make enough for 2 crusts since I make a double crusted pie (don't like the single crust ones for serving or presentation). You can also make it a single crust pie if you like....
  

INSTRUCTIONS.- And away we go!!......

1-   TO MAKE THE CHICKEN STOCK.-  In a heavy pot place the celery, carrot, onion. Add the whole chicken and carcass, add the Bay Leaf, Parsley and Peppercorns and fill up the pot with cold water. Make sure it's all covered and put the lid on. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and allow to cook at least 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken breasts). Check on the water level and add more water as needed. After 30 minutes check the breasts to insure they are cooked through, otherwise cook another 15 minutes. Once they're cooked, remove the chicken, leave the carcass and veggies and continue to simmer for a full 90 minutes. Drain the stock through a colander or sieve, you can discard the carcass and veggies now, place the chicken in a bowl to cool and remove the skins. Check the stock and add salt and pepper (a little more than you think). Do not degrease, you want a fatty full flavored stock. Set aside.

2-    STARTING THE FILLING.-  In a small saucepan, medium heat, melt the butter until foaming and add the flour. Start stirring the mixture and you'll see it start to become a thick paste, now add a small amount of the stock, like a ladle at a time, while you continue to stir constantly. We need to cook out the flour taste, don't let it stick to the bottom.

3-    ADDING MORE STOCK.-  You are basically making a "Veloute Sauce" which means not all milk but you need to make it "Nape" or very smooth without lumps, ok?  Once you see the mixture absorb all the stock you added at the beginning and is bubbling, add a little more and keep stirring. Once you've got a mix that looks like thick custard (pudding) you need to lower the heat to low and let it bubble for about 3-5 minutes, stirring now and then to keep it from sticking to the bottom.

4-    NOW WE'RE STARTING THE FILLING.- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of oil and add the leeks and carrot to soften, keep an eye on them. Now you can add the garlic cloves and add the wine. You will allow the liquid to reduce to almost dry "au sec" or the liquid to almost disappear. At this time you add the white sauce you made earlier into the leeks, carrot and peas plus the heavy cream too. You need to heat this up until it bubbles gently. 

5-    TIME FOR THE CHICKEN.-  Now, if you had time before and your chicken was cooled, you can shred the chicken so it's ready to join the reset of the ingredients in the white sauce. Taste it!! Season to your taste with Salt and Pepper and allow the filling to cool. Once it has cooled and you're done it's time to taste to insure the seasonings are good. Add the vinegar or lemon and mix in, add salt and pepper and mix in. Taste, taste, taste... There's no measurements since it's YOUR taste that counts, so add a little and add more if you need since you can always add but not remove, ok?

6-    HOW ABOUT THE PASTRY.-  Take you pastry (which should have been resting in the fridge after making it, right? Roll it out on a floured surface and scatter with some chopped Rosemary and Sea / Coarse Salt. Preheat your oven to 190 C or 392 F.

7- FINISHING TOUCHES.-  Place your first crust into your chosen pan and fit well without stretching the dough, insure it covers all the pan with leftover but cut to size. Brush the edges of the crust with the beaten egg so they will glue together. Take your cooled filling and fill your pan almost to the very top. Take your second pastry crust  and lay over your pie, press down gently to avoid pockets or air bubbles. Now bring the bottom crust up and place the second crust over and under the bottom crust, it will seem like a thick edge but both should come together and folded under the pan neatly. With your right hand, first and third finger with pastry between, use your left hand's second finger knuckle to make a "V" shape indentation into the pastry edge (it will look great). Brush the pastry with more beaten egg. Make cuts into the top of the pastry crust to allow air to escape and bake for about 20 minutes (or more) keep an eye on it to insure you get a golden crust and a bubbling filling.

Allow to cool about 10 minutes for the filling to set and to lower the heat so you can eat it. You can include a side dish or salad if desired. Serve and enjoy!!!

NOTE.- You can use this recipe as a guide for other filled pies, you can use meats, fish or all veg, it's your choice, just make sure each step is flavorful and rich. You can also make individual one crust pies in ramekins.

You can also make it faster if you wish by using a rotisserie chicken, store bought stock and pastry dough or frozen vegetables to make it a quicker preparation. Change the veg, suit your family's taste and come up with your version. It'll be great!!