Chicken Pot Pie

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220°C. Start the pastry: rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until you have a mixture with some pea-sized pieces still visible. Drizzle in the ice-cold water and bring it together quickly into a dough without overworking it; those butter pieces help create flakiness. Flatten into a disc and chill while you make the filling.

   150 g plain flour90 g cold unsalted butter3 g fine salt35 ml ice-cold water
2. 2

   Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the diced chicken, onion, carrot, celery, and potato. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften and the chicken loses its raw exterior but is not fully browned. Moderate heat is best here; too much colour can make the filling taste heavy rather than creamy.

   250 g boneless skinless chicken thigh or breast, diced30 g unsalted butter80 g onion, finely diced80 g carrot, small dice60 g celery, small dice120 g potato, peeled and 1 cm dice
3. 3

   Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to remove the raw taste. Gradually pour in the chicken stock while stirring so the flour disperses smoothly and forms a sauce without lumps.

   20 g plain flour250 ml chicken stock
4. 4

   Add the cream, peas, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the potato is just tender. The filling should look slightly thicker than you think necessary, because it will loosen a little in the oven. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.

   80 ml double cream70 g frozen peas4 g fresh thyme leaves4 g fine salt1 g ground black pepper
5. 5

   Transfer the filling to a 16-18 cm pie dish or 2 individual ovenproof dishes. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thick and large enough to cover the dish with a little overhang. Drape it over the filling, press the edges to seal, and cut a small steam vent in the centre. Brush the top evenly with beaten egg for a glossy finish.

   1 medium egg, beaten
6. 6

   Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden, crisp, and the filling is bubbling through the vent. If the crust colours too fast, loosely cover with foil for the final minutes.

7. 7

   Rest the pie for 5 minutes before serving so the filling settles slightly and slices more neatly. Serve hot.

Origin & History

Chicken pot pie descends from British meat pies and became a staple comfort dish in the United States, where a creamy chicken-and-vegetable filling under pastry became especially popular. It is closely associated with home cooking, diners, and cold-weather family meals across America.