Double-crust Chicken Pot Pie

 28 October 2020

Recipe from Cook's Country

I was inspired to try this recipe after seeing it demonstrated on a recent episode of the Cook's Country TV show. With the cooler autumn weather it seemed a perfect dinner. It looked like it would be fun to make, and though it could take some time none of the steps are difficult and none of the ingredients are exotic. We had a home-made chicken pot pie once before. It was made by our daughter and had just one crust and from my blog post it sounds like we really liked it.

First, the crust. The dough was made in the food processor. Sour cream and an egg were mixed in a bowl. All-purpose flour and salt were processed until combined. Unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes, was added to the flour and pulsed until combined with the flour mixture. The sour cream mixture was added in two batches and processed. The nascent dough was kneaded by hand to bring the ingredients together then divided in half with each half formed into a smooth round disk. These disks were placed in the refrigerator for an hour to cool. After sitting on the counter for 10 minutes, each disk was rolled into a 12-inch circle. One of these was placed in a 9-inch pie pan and the other on a baking sheet. Both were covered with plastic wrap and returned to the refrigerator to chill.

While the dough chilled for the second time, the filling was prepared. Butter was melted in a large saucepan and diced onions, carrots, and celery were added with salt and pepper. After the vegetables had softened flour was added and cooked until golden. Chicken broth and half-and-half were stirred in and brought to a boil. Diced potatoes were added and minced fresh tarragon (in place of thyme as specified in the recipe, because we had tarragon). This was simmered until the potatoes were tender. Off heat, frozen peas and shredded super-market roast chicken were added. The filling was added to the pie plate (it made a great mound), the top crust was placed, well, on top, and the two crusts crimped together.  Rather than fluting the edge I crimped it with a fork. Four slits were cut into the crust which was then brushed with an egg wash. The pie was placed on a rimmed baking sheet in a 450° oven for about 20 minutes. The temperature was lowered to 375° and the pie baked until it was deep golden brown. After cooling for 45 minutes it could be served. Total time was about 4½ hours but this includes time for chilling the dough, baking, and cooling, so the hands-on time was significantly less.

I had several concerns about this recipe. Would the bottom crust be soggy? Would the crust hold up in leftovers? Would the pie be sliceable or would the filling be runny? I am happy to report that none of these problems occurred. The crust was crispy, top and bottom, and never got soggy, even with leftovers. The over-stuffed pie didn't boil over and the rich, creamy filling stayed together when it was sliced and served. It was everything you could hope for in a cool-weather meal: lots of chicken and vegetables in a thick,  creamy sauce. The tarragon worked well, too, as a substitute for the thyme. The effort needed to make this pot pie was worthwhile and it is worth making again.