Happy Husband Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie

Ralph actually sent me flowers the day after eating this. Do I need more proof? It's the crust that really does it. It's soft but substantial and it soaks up the filling while keeping the crunch of the crust intact.

Ok so lets talk married life. It's been a month now. I can't say that everything is the same- it's not. But it's only very subtly different. It's like.. You come home, and ALL YOU WANT is a chocolate peanut butter cookie, and suddenly you remember you made that a month ago and have frozen cookie dough in the fridge. Yup it's EXACTLY like that moment. I've been assured it will go downhill soon enough though, so I'll keep you updated.

I'm finally starting to gently alter recipes in my head before I make them- I think I'm getting a cooking style? I was making this pie for my mom-in-law, so I was trying extra hard because we love to make only our best dishes for her (I'm still trying to forget the red lentil soup disaster). I altered this recipe quite a bit from the original- but I kept the crust exactly the same.

Chicken Pie

Adapted From The Kitchn

4 chicken breasts, skins on, bone in.

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 onion

2 medium carrots

1 stalk celery

60 g butter

about 1/2 cup flour (look at the first steps here to see what consistency the butter and flour should have)

2 cups hot chicken stock

1 cup 2% milk

1.5 cups flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoons salt

115 g butter, melted

1.5 cups 2% milk

1) Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2) Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop in the over for approximately 40 minutes, or until the skins are brown and crunchy. Remove the skin and bone, and cut the chicken into very small pieces.

3) Chop the onion, carrots and celery (this mixture is called a mirepoix). Fry these in olive oil with generous salt and pepper until they brown nicely.

4) Now make a chicken veloute: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.

5) Add the flour, cook it for a little while. Take off the heat.

6) Now, start adding the chicken stock, bit by bit, making sure to stir well to keep lumps from forming. Eventually you should be able to use a whisk. 

7) Once all the chicken stock is added, add the milk. The consistency should be very thin.

8) Now put the pot back on a medium heat, and stir until it thickens nicely (it should almost boil). Season with salt and pepper.

9) Add the vegetables and chicken to the sauce. Now, taste it and season more if needed.

10) Pour into a pie dish- I used a 9 inch, and the mixture came to within a couple of centimeters of the top.

11) Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

12) Melt the butter, and add it along with the milk and mix nicely (I simply used a whisk- no mixer required).

13) Pour mixture on top of pie.

14) Pop in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes. Make sure to put a cookie sheet under the pie in case it overflows a little. Remove when the top is lightly but definitely browned.