Chicken Pot Pie and Homemade Pie Crust

1 homemade pie crust (2 disks)

4 cups cooked chicken, shredded

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion  (1 cup chopped)

2 medium carrots (1 cup) thinly sliced

8 oz white or brown mushrooms, (stems discarded), sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cu heavy cream

2 tsp salt plus Kasher salt to garnish

1/4 tsp black pepper plus more to garnish

1 cup frozen peas do not thaw

1/4 cup parsley finely chopped, plus more to garnish

1 egg beaten for egg wash

 

1.  In a dutch oven or pot, melt 6 Tbsp butter.  Add diced onions and carrots and saute 8 minutes over medium heat unti soft.

2.  Add sliced mushrooms and minced garlic and saute another 5 minutes until mushrooms are softened. 

3.  Add 1/3 cup flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Add chicken stock, and 1/2 cup heavy cream then bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute or until mixture is a thick gravy consistency.  Add 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, or season to taste.  It should be well-seasoned.

4.  Add shredded cooked chicken, frozen peas, and 1/4 cup parsley.  Stir to combine then remove from heat and cool slightly while you roll out the crusts.  Roll 1 chilled pie crust disk into a 12 inch diameter circle.  Carefully transfer it into a 9 inch pie dish.  Spoon the pie filling over the bottom crust.

5.  Roll the second disk of pie dough into a 10 inch diameter circle and place over the pie filling.  Fold the excess dough behind the bottom crust then crump the pie crusts together to seal.  Use a sharp paring knife to cut 5 small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.  Brush the top of the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and pepper.

6.  Bake at 425 degree for 30-35 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.  If edges are browning too fast, cover with a pie shield or make a shield by cutting a 4 inch diameter circle from the center of a sheet of foil and placing that over the pie.  Once out of the oven, rest for 15 minutes to cool slightly before slicing.

*Notes- can use rotisserie chicken and shred

Pie Crust Recipe:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more to dust, measured correctly

1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 lb COLD unsalted butter (2 sticks) diced into 1/4 inch pieces

7 Tbsp ice water (7 to 8 Tbsp)

1.  Place flour, sugar adn salt into the bowl of a food processosr and pulse a few times to combine.

2.  Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and  powdery.

3.  Add 7 Tbsp ice water and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form.  Press a piece of dough between your finger tips and if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water.  If not, add more water a tsp full at a time.  Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.

4.  Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough).  Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using in recipes that call for pie crust.