Chicken Pot Pie

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 / 3.5# chicken from your favorite butcher, giblets r

• 1 tsp Kosher salt

• 1 tsp. Fennel pollen

• 1 tsp. Smoked paprika

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 bunch fresh thyme

Method:

1. Preheat a non-convection oven to 500 f.

2. Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken and save for another use or discard.

3. Rinse the chicken in cold running water briefly and transfer to a tray with paper towels and pat the chicken dry.

4. Place the chicken on a cutting board and remove the wing bones at the second joint closest to the breast. Place the wing bones on a baking tray to later rest the chicken on during cooking.

5. Place a large bunch of fresh thyme in the cavity of the chicken and then truss the chicken as demonstrated in the video.

6. Season the chicken evenly with the salt, fennel pollen, smoked paprika and black pepper.

7. Be sure to leave the chicken at room temperature for up to one hour, but no longer, and then place in the 500f oven for 20 minutes.

8. Immediately lower the temperature to 350 f and cook for another 20 minutes.

9. Turn the oven off and let the chicken rest in the oven for another 20 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 more minutes prior to carving the chicken.

Glazed Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 8 medium size carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 ‘thick wheels.

• 6 stalks celery, from the inside stalks, peeled and sliced ½ “thick on a bias.

• 15 cippolini onions, peeled.

• 10 fingerling potatoes, cooked in salted water until tender, chilled, peeled and sliced into 1/2’ thick wheels.

• ¼ cup Freshly picked thyme leaves

• 8 ounces Unsalted butter

• 8 -12 ounces Water, as needed.

• 2 Tbsp. Sherry vinegar.

• Kosher salt, to taste

Method:

1. In a medium heavy gauged saucepan, melt the butter with half of the water over medium heat until emulsified.

2. Add the cippolini onions and season with salt, cover and let simmer for 7-8 minutes and then add the remaining vegetables and water, season with salt and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring gently and adding water as needed to keep the butter fat from separating.

3. Once the vegetables are tender with the tip of a knife, remove from the heat and add the fresh thyme leaves and sherry vinegar.

4. Adjust salt to taste and set aside until ready to assemble the Pot Pie.

Chicken Jus

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts chicken stock

• 1 roasted chicken, after all meat has been removed, broken into small pieces.

• 1 Spanish onion roughly chopped.

• 2 ribs celery roughly chopped.

• 2 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped.

• 1 cup white wine

• ¼ cup grapeseed oil

• 8 sprigs fresh thyme

Method:

1. Heat the grapeseed oil in medium size saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the vegetables oil and add the vegetables, stirring over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until nicely browned.

3. Add the roasted chicken bones and the white wine, cook off the wine for 2 minutes and then add the chicken stock and fresh thyme.

4. Simmer gently until the stock has reduced to half of its volume.

5. Strain through a fine strainer and return to a saucepan and keep warm.

Amontillado Sherry Jus

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken jus

• 1 cup amontillado sherry

• 2 ounces unsalted butter

• 2 ounces all-purpose flour (unbleached)

Method:

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.

2. Whisk in the flower slowly until combined and cook over low heat for 4- 5 minutes, until a rich nutty aroma and a light brown color develops. This is called a “roux” which is a classic thickening agent used in making this sauce.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the amontillado sherry, slowly whisking until incorporated, cooking slowly over low heat.

4. Add the chicken stock gradually, allowing the sauce to thicken slowly in satges, cooking off the flour flavor and achieving a velvet like consistency.

   Once all the stock which has been incorporated, season with salt and simmer for 3 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine strainer and set aside.

Puff Pastry & Egg Wash

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry

• 1 whole egg

• 2 Tbsp. whole milk

Method:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole egg and milk.

2. Lay the sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and cut one circle per serving of the puff pastry. The circle should be 1” greater in diameter than the casserole you will be serving the Pot Pie in.

3. Using a ½” diameter cookie cutter, cut one circle in the center, this will allow the steam to release while cooking.

Pot Pie Assembly and Cooking

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F (non-convection).

2. In a medium size saucepan, combine the roasted chicken pieces, glazed root vegetables and the amontillado 4 cups of the amontillado sherry jus.

3. Warm and combine all the ingredients gently, tasting and adjusting the salt and sherry vinegar to taste if necessary.

4. Place the Pot Pie filling in the casserole until full, but not above the edge of the casserole.

5. Gently place the puff pastry circle over the top and press the sides into the edge of the top of the casserole using your fingertips.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and the filling is warm when you test with the point of a knife.

7. Serve immediately accompanied by a side of the amontillado sherry jus, poured inside the center tableside.