Luxurious Chicken Pot Pie

Moving into a new house is always a bit of an ordeal, isn’t it? Packing kicks off with the delightful task of discerning (room by room) which items are To Keep, To Donate, and To Toss. There’s the tackling of the many Drawers Of Stuff, or rather those drawers somewhere in the house packed to the brim with stray chargers, appliance manuals, loose change, and expired batteries (we all have one). There’s the hunting and gathering of spare boxes, the actual packing of said boxes, and the move itself, where your entire domicile is transported from one space to another. There’s lots of dust, sweat, and duct tape involved. Unpacking is another challenge in and of itself, but nothing that a True Crime podcast or good playlist can’t make go by a little faster. In short: moving is a pain in the neck, but with a little concentration and drive, completely doable.

Unless, of course, you’re living in Italy.

(Yes: just when I didn’t think it could get anymore frustrating than flying with United Airlines, I decided to move into a new apartment.)

Changing house in Italy is the equivalent of playing some sort of real-estate themed video game, one where the valiant tenant is blocked at every turn by an aggravating, bureaucratic villain. You see: while Italy gets high marks in History & Cuisine, its barely passing when it comes to Efficiency & Customer Service. It’s a place where the simple often becomes impossible, and where dealing with everything from the post office to the bank to any utilities company is mind-bendingly frustrating. Information and instructions vary greatly, depending on who you’re talking to; personnel tends to be impatient and sometimes rude; websites don’t work, phone lines drop at crucial moments, and nothing is ever accomplished on even the first, second, or third try. Currently, I am at level 1 in the New Apartment Video Game, fighting two front battle to ensure my apartment is equipped with gas and has a functioning internet connection. Both situations are largely up in the air — characterized by lots of confusion and time on the phone — and while I’m sure we’ll get there in the end, be prepared for oven-only recipes this February (I sort of think the stove will be out of service until then).

But the good news in the midst of this frustration storm?! There’s this super Luxurious Chicken Pot Pie, a recipe that appeared in my head and I jotted down while on hold with the internet company (good things do come to those who wait). Think of this as an elevated version of the classic Chicken Pot Pie, or Chicken Pot Pie all-grown up. The flaky, buttery pastry crust is ever present, but here the classic kid-friendly carrots and peas are replaced by pleasantly garlicky, wine-kissed mushrooms (a vegetable we only learn to appreciate once we’re older). The usual chicken breast is swapped out for juicy roast chicken thighs, and the filling is given more depth of flavor thanks to fresh herbs (rosemary for warmth and sage for coziness). There’s a touch of cream for richness and lots of black pepper for heat, and if you’re me, you’ll use the pastry scraps to embellish the crust with leaves — a calming, repetitive task for when you’ve refreshed the Acea website for the umpteenth time and still gotten an error message.

Wish me luck, everyone — in the meantime, make this pie, obnoxious move or not!

A couple of notes: You can always use a store-bought pie crust or chicken from a rotisserie chicken to cut down on the steps here (note that you will need about 2 cups of rotisserie chicken). Just be sure you regulate the salt if you’re using a pre-roasted chicken, as it will be already seasoned. If you’re making the pastry from scratch, you can also use all some whole wheat flour or farro flour in the pastry, if you’d like (about 1/2 a cup, or 65 grams of the total 2 cups, or 260 grams). You can also use whatever kind of mushroom you like, and if you only have red wine on hand for the filling instead of white, that would probably be delicious too.

Looking for more savory pies? Click here.

Looking for more chicken recipes? I’ve got this roast chicken with plums, this pollo fritto alla toscana aka Tuscan-style fried chicken, this classic chicken pot pie, this pollo ai peperoni, this pollo alla cacciatora in bianco, and these cotolette di pollo.

LUXURIOUS CHICKEN POT PIE

Serves 6.

Ingredients for the pastry:
2 cups (260 grams) all- purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (4 grams) salt
12 tablespoons (168 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 tablespoons (90 grams) plain full-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon (7.5 ml) white wine vinegar, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons (42ml) cold water
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Ingredients for the filling:
5 chicken thighs
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 pound (448 grams) sliced button mushrooms
1 stick of celery, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup (120mL) white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
A sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (120mL) heavy cream
1 cup (240mL) chicken broth

Directions for the pie crust:
1.) Start with your pastry! In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut them up and into the flour mixture until it resembles little pebbles. Keep breaking up the bits of butter until it begins to take on a pebble-y, sandy texture and appearance.

2.) In a small dish, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar or lemon juice, and water. Combine it with the butter-flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir the wet and the dry together until a craggy dough forms. If needed, get your hands into the bowl to knead it a few times into one big ball. Divide the ball of dough in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Pat both balls of dough into discs and wrap them in plastic wrap. Put the dough in the oven to chill for at least an hour.

Note: you can also use a food processor to make the pastry, if you have one.

Directions for the filling:
3.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the chicken thighs on top. Drizzle the chicken thighs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown and cooked throughout. Set aside to cool.

4.) In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat some olive oil and add the garlic clove. Once the garlic is fragrant, add half of your mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until softened and browned, and the liquid has been evaporated. Move the first batch of mushrooms to a bowl, and add the rest. Once all the mushrooms are cooked, add them all back to the pan, and add season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Next, pour in 1/2 cup (120mL) white wine. Let the wine cook off, about 6-7 minutes.

5.) Remove your wine-y mushrooms from the pan and place in the same bowl as before. In the same pan, heat a bit more olive oil and add your chopped onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, sage, and bay leaves. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the herbs are fragrant.

6. When the chicken is cool, remove it from the bones and chop roughly. Add the roast chicken into the pan and give everything a good stir. Season with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

7. Fish out the bay leaves and garlic cloves and discard. Add the flour to the vegetable and chicken mix and stir well until no dry flour remains. Stir in the cream and chicken broth and cook until bubbling and thick, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms back in and stir well. Taste the filling and adjust the seasonings accordingly (I added a bit more salt).

To assemble:
8.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take your chilled pastry discs out of the fridge and on a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll it out in to 2 circles, one slightly larger than the other. Place the larger pie crust in to a buttered 9-inch pie dish. Spoon the filling into the pie crust.

9.) Next, top the filling with the second smaller pie crust, trimming the edges so that it fits snugly with the bottom pie crust. Brush the top crust with a beaten egg. Cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. 109.) Bake the pie for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool for 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving.