Recipe: Chicken and Guinness Pot Pie

PIE-A-DAY #11

Today’s pie makes us sad. Sad that we’re a long way away from pot pie weather.

Then again, we do have air conditioning here at KCRW, and Heather Christo’s Chicken and Guinness Pot Pieis pretty tempting…

It comes from her book Heather Christo’s Generous Table.

Read below for the recipe, and click here to enter YOUR delicious pie (or pies) in the 5th Annual Good Food Pie Contest on Saturday, September 7th at LACMA.

Chicken and Guinness Pot Pie

(From Heather Christo’s Generous Table by Heather Christo © 2013 Kyle Books.)

This chicken pot pie has come a long way since I was a kid, while still retaining the nostalgia of childhood. Tender chunks of white chicken, vegetables, and crispy pastry are complemented by a rich and creamy broth that is brimming with Guinness and chicken flavor. Incredible on a cold winter’s night or baked in individual servings for a party.

Serves 4 to 6 or 24 minis

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, diced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

two 11-ounce bottles of Guinness beer (If you don’t have Guinness, use another good dark beer.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

2⁄3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 large egg

1 teaspoon water

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2 Arrange the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for about 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the oven to cool slightly but leave the oven at 375°F. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones, then shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set the meat aside with any juices that have collected on the pan; discard the skin and bones.

3 Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

4 In a large heavy pot, melt the remaining ¼ cup butter over medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with a little salt and cook until the onion is soft. Add the carrots, celery, peas, pearl onions and potato. Sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Add the shredded chicken pieces and the Guinness and let the vegetables and beer sweat for about 5 minutes, until everything is hot and tender.

5 Stir in the flour to thicken the sauce. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add the chicken stock, cream and thyme. Stir the filling, cover, and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then pour the filling into the prepared baking dish.

6 On a lightly floured surface, lay the two puff pastry sheets side by side, overlapping where they meet. Using a rolling pin, roll them together so you have a long rectangle (for the smaller pot pies, just cut the sheets to size for each pie.) Using the puff pastry sheet, make a tent over the filling, simply pinching the puff pastry to the edges of the dish to hold it in place. Cut off any extra overhanging dough.

7 Beat the egg with the 1 teaspoon water. Lightly brush the egg wash over the puff pastry. Slice some steam holes in the top of the pie. Carefully put the pot pie in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the insides are bubbling and the puff pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.