Sun-days are indeed my very best days as this is when I get to putter; uninterrupted, in my kitchen. It is during these times that I, as some would refer to it, “put my foot in” the dishes that I prepare for family and friends. For those of you who might read this and not be familiar with this expression, it simply means the cook stood in the kitchen until he or she got it right.
I love Sundays too because it is the one day when I get to linger with my hubby who always seems to find his way into the kitchen, peeking in pots and constantly asking what’s for dinner.
My recipe for Chicken Pot Pie is a family favorite for Sunday supper. Growing up in the south you could always count on chicken, beef , pork, or sometimes seafood being served under a tender, flaky crust along with whatever available vegetables from the garden or the canning shelf.
I have given our traditional recipe a bit of my own twist, using lots of herbs and roasting off the vegetables in the pan with the chicken to add richness to the flavor. I also use corn starch as a thickener as opposed to the traditional southern flour thickener to give it a lighter texture.
If you are pressed for time, you can always make this in advance and heat in the oven prior to serving.
ingredients
1 large roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Coarse ground black pepper
Dried or fresh thyme and oregano
Dried basil
1/2 each, ground fennel and celery seed (use a mortar pestle to grind)
2 Bay leaves
5-6 fresh carrots, scrubbed and peeled
1 cup frozen baby green peas
8 garlic cloves
White pearl onions
1/2 large lemon
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
instructions
Clean inside of chicken and season inside and outside of chicken with salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano and dried basil. Place chicken in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil; about 2 tablespoons. Insert garlic and bay leaves into chicken cavity. Squeeze lemon juice from lemon and place lemon half in cavity of chicken.
Cut carrots into large chunks and add to pan around the chicken. Add onions to pan with carrots.
Cover chicken loosely with aluminum, making sure to leave a vent for steam to escape. Roast chicken until done. Remove aluminum foil and brown slightly. Remove chicken from the oven and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.
Cut away the breast, thighs and legs from chicken and cut into small chunks. Place in a large bowl, along with peas, onions, carrots and garlic from the cavity of the chicken. Add fennel and celery seed. Dice the garlic into pieces. Add chicken broth and corn starch to a small bowl and blend. Pour over chicken mixture. Stir to combine.
Add chicken mixture to a 9X12 baking dish. Roll out pie crust and place over top of filling. Tuck or crimp crust to seal in filling. Using a pastry brush, brush crust with an egg wash. (To make egg wash, beat 1 egg along with 1 teaspoon cold water until blended)
Because life should be good. How good is that…..
Copyright 2017 Bonnie McDaniel Good Living
