Chicken Pot Pie

Pie is not in my baking list lately. Juggling between my ever demanding job and household to care for , has limited my pie baking time. Not till i came across with this simple yet gorgeous looking chicken pie dish. The use of frozen puff pasty saved me with the kneading pie dough.

Puff pastry comes handy when you are running out of time for recepis calling for pie crust. Chicken pot pie is easy to make don't get fooled by it's elegant look. In just a matter of time you can dish up an awesome pie for your family and friends. I love the combination of crispy crust on top of the pie covering creamy white sauce and the goodness of assorted bright coloured vegetables to go with it...let's bake a pie


Ingredients

Poaching chicken

6 pieces cleaned chicken breasts
1 celery stick, slit into 4
1 carrot, slit into 4
1 medium onion, slit into 4
2 cloves garlic
1 star anise
2 cloves

For white sauce

6 tbsp butter
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 stalk chives/spring onion leaves, chopped
1 cup potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
3 cups chicken stock-water use to boiled the chicken
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup flour
salt to taste
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1 tbsp mixed dry herbs
6 ramekins, greased with butter

For crust

Puff pastry sheets, defrost
1 egg, beaten


To poach chicken

In a heavy deep bottom pan, combine all ingredients for poaching chicken and cook for 15 mins. Remove chicken from the broth and dice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Save the chicken boiled water for the sauce.


For the pie

Defrost puff pastry sheets. Preheat oven at 375'F or 175'C

Melt butter in a large pan and add in the diced carrots, cook for 5 mins. Add in the diced onion and celery and season with salt and black pepper. Cook till the onion wilted.

Add in the flour and stir continously for 2 mins. Pour in the chicken stock and whole milk. Reduce flame to medium and let it simmer for 5-8 mins with stirring occasionally till the sauce thickened

Add frozen peas,corn,chicken,chives and dry herbs. Remove from flame and let it cool for 5-10 mins.

Meanwhile, roll out the pie crust and use a bowl slightly larger than the ramekins, trace and cut out 6 circles Place the ramekins in a baking tray.

Evenly spoon the pie filling into the ramekins up to the brim. Place the pie dough over top and crimping the edges. Brush with egg wash and cut cross about 1/2 cm on the puff pastry for ventilation.

Bake for 20-25 mins or until the crust golden.

Remove and let them cool 10 mins before serving