Yield: 8 Servings

handheld-chicken-pot-pies

Summer 2017: These came out quite tasty. Very similar to a handheld chicken pot pie. Now, if neatness counts and you really want to hold these in your hand, you need to do better than I did with the filling and sealing.  Don’t overfill.

• FOR THE FILLING:
• 6TBS unsalted butter, divided
• 1cup chopped celery
• 1cup chopped carrot
• 1cup diced potato
• 2cups chopped yellow onion
• ¼tsp dried thyme
• ¼tsp dried rosemary
• ½tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1cup peas (frozen is fine)
• 2cups diced cooked chicken
• ½cup flour
• 3cups chicken stock
• FOR THE CRUST:
• 3¾cups all-purpose flour
• ½tsp salt
• 3sticks unsalted butter, cubed
• ½-⅔cup cold ice water, as needed
• 1egg, beaten with 1 TBS water (egg wash)

To make the chicken pot pie filling, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the chopped celery, carrot, potato, onion, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper. Sauté until soft, about 15 minutes.

Add the peas and diced chicken to the pot, mix.

Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the softened vegetables, and let it melt completely. Add the flour and stir to distribute, then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then back down to a simmer, and let it bubble for five minutes until it has thickened. Adjust the seasoning if desired, then let this mixture cool to room temperature, then chill completely in the fridge, for at least 3 hours.

In the meantime, make the pie crust. Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor 10 times, to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse about 20 times until the butter is chopped up into pea-sized pieces. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together. You want to stop adding water when it looks crumbly, but if you pinch a bit of the dough, it holds together. Dump the dough out onto the counter, bring it together into a flat disk with your fingers, then wrap in plastic. Chill in the fridge for two hours.

Once the filling and pie crust are chilled, we’re ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Roll the pie crust out to about 1/8 inch thick, and cut 6-inch wide circles. If you re-roll the scraps, you should be able to get 8 circles total.

Place a few spoonfuls of filling into each circle. Don’t overfill. The photo shows what over-filling does. Leave ½ inch space around the edge on half. Paint the edge with water or egg wash. Fold the edge over, then enclose by crimping with your fingers or a fork. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then place four pies each on two sheet pans. Cut vent slits into each pie, then brush with egg wash. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and crusty. Let the pies cool for at least 5 minutes, then enjoy!