Chicken Pot Pie

America's Test Kitchen is one of my all time favorite TV shows.  They also produce a magazine called Cook's Illustrated - also a favorite. They take the time to test so many variations of a recipe and explain why one is better over another.

This chicken pot pie recipe has become the hands down all time winner of pot pies in my household (which consists of me- well, and the cat, but he doesn't eat chicken pot pie). 

I made this recipe for Sunday dinner last Sunday, and it was, by all counts, a winner. Put a W in the column!

Photo courtesy of American Test Kitchen

Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe from American Test Kitchen
Serves: 6

• 1 1/2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 c Low sodium chicken broth
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise in 1/4" slices
• 2 small celery rib, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper
• 10 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, sliced thin
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 c whole milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 T minced fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup frozen baby peas

CRUMBLE TOPPING
I doubled this to have extra topping

• 2 c flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne

 
Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped bite size pieces ranging from onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.

Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.