Make a stress-free classic chicken potpie with 1 pot
The delights of classic chicken potpie are many — from the burnished, flaky crust to the luscious, savory filling.
But putting it together can be a chore: Between making pie dough (which often requires pulling out a food processor), poaching chicken in one pot and building a gravy in another, and then transferring the filling and crust to a pie plate to bake, this comfort food requires a major time commitment, not to mention a battery of pots and pans.
We wanted an easier way and found our trusty Dutch oven to be just the ticket to get us there using only one pot.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces, were easy to work with and stayed moist through cooking. While tasters liked the deeper flavor provided by browning the chicken, they weren't keen on the crusty, browned exterior on the pieces — it didn't jive with the luxurious, creamy filling.
Instead, we simply stirred bite-size pieces of chicken right into the gravy and turned to two powerhouse ingredients — tomato paste and soy sauce — to boost savoriness without being distinguishable in their own right.
To give our potpie fresh spring flavor we swapped in leeks for onions and stirred in some fresh asparagus, peas, and tarragon after pulling the pot from the oven.
With our one-pot filling perfected, we turned to the crust. Instead of labor-intensive homemade pastry, we decided to use buttery store-bought puff pastry and wove it into a simple but stunning lattice. But no matter what we tried, baking the crust on top of the filling inevitably led to sorry, soggy results.
In the past we skirted this problem by baking the crust separately on a baking sheet, but we were hesitant to add more dishes to our recipe. We realized, however, that the lid of the Dutch oven could act as a stand-in baking sheet: We simply turned the lid upside down before covering the pot and baked the pastry on top. A simple egg wash turned the crust a deep golden. Once we slid the baked crust onto the filling, our simplified centerpiece was complete.
To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. We prefer to place the baked pastry on top of the filling in the pot just before serving for an impressive presentation; however, you can also cut the pastry into wedges and place them over individual portions of the filling.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Chicken Pot Pie in “Cook It In Your Dutch Oven.”