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SPRING CHICKEN AND LEEK POT PIE

A fresh pot pie with chicken poached separately and the veggies lightly sautéed to keep texture and colour.
Course Main Course
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN AND GRAVY

  • 1 1/2 lb boneless , skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups stock (you can use chicken stock or vegetable stock)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup AP flour (I use einkorn, which calls for a tbsp or so more)
  • 1 1/2 whole milk or half and half
  • 2 tbsp sherry or white wine
  • 1/4 tsp lemon juice
  • kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
  • 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp hot chili flakes

FOR THE VEGETABLES

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 medium onion , chopped
  • 4 medium leeks , cleaned, chopped into half moons
  • 3 celery ribs , chopped
  • 2 spring onions , chopped
  • 3/4 cup fresh (or frozen) peas
  • 3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

FOR THE TOPPING, PREPARED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING

  • 1/2 of my pie dough recipe
  • Herbed Kefir Biscuit recipe
  • Tiny Tomato Cobbler topping recipe
  • Puff Pastry rolled no less than 1/4" to fit over the baking dish
  • HAVE READY
  • One of your topping choices
  • Buttered or greased 13x9" baking pan or other baking dish that will accommodate the ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F

FOR THE CHICKEN

  1. Place the chicken in a dutch oven and cover with 2 cups of stock. Make sure the chicken is covered.
  2. Bring to simmer over high heat and then reduce so that the poaching liquid barely bubbles. Partially cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken from the stock and let cool. Cut into bite sized pieces. Skim any fat from the stock.
  4. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a large sauce pan.
  5. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and 2 cups of the stock and whisk until smooth.
  6. Add the milk or half and half and return to the heat, bringing it up to medium. Bring the liquids to a simmer, whisking constantly.
  7. Add the wine or sherry and cook for one more minute.
  8. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, thyme, nutmeg and the chili flakes.
  9. Stir in the chicken pieces. Set aside.

FOR THE VEGETABLES

  1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  2. Add the onions, leeks, and celery and sauté till just tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add these to the creamed chicken along with the peas and parsley.
  4. Pour the entire combination into the prepared baking dish.
  5. If using a pastry round, cover and tuck around the edges and cut some vents.
  6. If using the Herbed Biscuit recipe, roll out to no more 3/4" and cover the chicken, overlapping lightly if necessary.
  7. If using the Tiny Tomato Cobbler recipe, simply drop the cobbler topping on top leaving spaces between the drops.
  8. Bake until the chicken is bubbly and the topping is nice browned, about 25 minutes (this will also depend on the type of topping you are using).

Recipe Notes

For the pie dough topping, or the biscuit topping, you can brush with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water) and sprinkle with a finishing salt.

You can spice this up as you see fit.

It can probably feed 8 comfortably, but better to plan for 6 and have leftovers!

You can easily cut this recipe in half if there are only 4 of you at home.

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking