Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
Townsends free range chickens provide an excellent base for this recipe. Using a roaster ensures that everyone gets a full chicken portion.
Ingredients:
6-8 lb free ranged roaster chicken
4 tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
6 -8 sprigs parsley
Few celery tops
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
4-5 potatoes pealed, diced
3 c sliced carrots
1 10oz frozen peas
½c butter
½c flour
1 ½ recipes of your favorite pastry or store bought pastry dough
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Pre heat oven to 350 deg.
Cut chicken up into 8 even pieces and place them in large Dutch oven. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
In a loose tea holder combine bay leaves, thyme, parsley sprigs & celery tops, or tie it all together in a bundle using butchers twine. Add to the pot of chicken pieces and cover with cold water.
Cover dish, reduce heat to 350 deg & bake for 45 min or until the chicken is tender. Let cool.
While chicken is cooking roll out preferred pastry ¼” thick and lay evenly in a 13×9 “ oven proof baking dish, allowing the pastry to go up the sides of the dish. Combine remaining pastry & roll out ¼” thick and cut into 1” strips. While chicken is cooling boil potato cubes in salted water till almost tender but not quite done, adding carrot slices ¾ way through also keeping carrots a little crispy. Drain and reserve.
When chicken is cooled enough to handle pull off skin & tear meat off bones, chop into bite sized chunks and set aside. Strain the liquid through a strainer and set aside.
In a large pot over medium high heat melt butter. Add flour and stir till combined and thick. While stirring slowly add reserved chicken stock being careful to adjust heat as to not burn the roux. Continue adding stock till thick gravy like consistency is achieved. Add reserved potato chunks and carrot slices, frozen peas and reserved chicken pieces. Stir till combined and pour into crust. Lay pastry strips decoratively across dish forming a lattice pattern adhering to pastry crust with water.
Decoratively pinch edges together to form a border. Brush with an egg was of egg and a few tbsps. cold water. Bake at 375 deg for 30 min till crust is golden brown and bottom is cooked through. Serve.