Recipes > Chicken Pot Pie
- Serves: 4
- Active Time: 2 hrs
- Total Time: 2 hrs
- Views: 99,556
- Success Rating: 92% (?)
Steps
Method
To make the broth, rinse the chicken and place into a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer over medium heat, while you prepare the vegetables (mirepoix).
Roughly chop the celery, onions, carrots and the white and light green parts of the leek.
Skim the broth before adding the mirepoix and salt. Bring everything back to a gentle simmer and let cook for about 30 to 45 minutes, skimming the surface as needed. Just be sure to not let the broth come to a boil.
Meanwhile, prepare the rest of your mise en place for the pot pies.
Method
For the pot pie mise en place, cut the onion, carrots, and leeks into large dice. Slice the mushrooms and set everything aside.
In a small fry pan over medium heat, toast the cumin and fennel seeds just until fragrant. Roughly pound them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Set aside and check the broth.
Method
Once the broth has cooked for about 30-45 minutes, check the water level, adding more cold water to cover, if needed. Then add the bouquet garni, which consists of the thyme, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. If the chicken floats out of the broth, gently turn it over. Let simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes while you start to cook the vegetables.
Method
To cook the vegetables, first melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium-low heat. Sweat the mushrooms, onions, leeks and carrots. Add the salt and let sweat until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. The carrots should still be a little al dente. Once ready, add the toasted spices and the flour. Stir until all of the flour has been incorporated. Turn off the heat and let sit while you check the broth again.
Method
Once the broth has simmered for about an hour or so, remove the chicken and place it onto a plate. Let cool slightly while you strain the broth. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and take off the skin. Roughly dice about 2 cups worth of breast meat and set aside. The leftover chicken can be used in another recipe.
Method
To finish the sauce for the pot pies, turn the heat back up to medium and slowly stir in the hot broth. Add the broth until the sauce is of a medium consistency; not too thick and not too runny. Add the diced chicken and thyme. Fold in the frozen peas and check for seasoning, finishing with a squeeze of fresh lemon or a touch of white wine, if desired.
Place four ramekins onto a tray and divide the mixture evenly between them. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool, while you roll out the puff pastry.
Method
To finish the pot pies, whisk the egg to make an egg wash.
Flour the counter and roll out the puff pastry to about 1/8" –inch, checking to make sure you have at least 1 1/2" -inches of overhang. Using either a paring knife or a large ring, cut out the dough, then brush off the excess flour. Puff pastry works best when it is really cold, so each time you cut out a round, place it onto the tray and back into the refrigerator.
To finish assembling, make sure the filling is cool before brushing the top of each ramekin with the egg wash. Drape a piece of dough overtop and squeeze the dough slightly upwards; making sure it is nice and tight around the ramekin. Refrigerate for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425º degrees Fahrenheit. Just before you bake the pot pies, brush the dough with the egg wash. Vent the tops to let the steam escape. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is a dark golden brown (and the internal temperature reaches at least 165º degrees Fahrenheit / 74º Celsius). Once done, let the pot pies sit for a few minutes before serving.
Chef's Notes
- by Tony Minichiello
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- March 28, 2008
Pot pies are a great make-ahead meal. They can be assembled a day or two in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Just be sure to cool the mixture completely before topping with the puff pastry. Egg wash the top of the dough just prior to baking. The cooking time will be slightly longer, as all of the ingredients will be cold. If you find that the puff pastry is getting too brown before the inside is cooked through, rest a piece of foil over top of the pastry and bake until the inside reaches at least 165º degrees Fahrenheit (74º Celsius). The foil will slow the browning process down.
67 Comments
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I am going to make it tomorrow for my friends!
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I AM GOING TO TRY MAKING THIS IN THE VERY NEAR FEATURE. LOVE THE COOKING VIDEO'S.
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is it possible that you use canned chicken broth?
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You can use both in this recipe. To make it even quicker feel free to buy broth and chicken for that matter. Making it a quick and easy recipe.
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I've made chicken pot pie before but not with the wonderful pastry topping. Can't wait to try it. Watching the videos is such help.
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I made this last night. I bought the rotisserie chicken and the puff pastry (frozen section) to make it quickly. Also used canned broth. It was so yummy! Everyone loved them.
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Made this last night and it was great. I had one major problem though and that's that there wasn't enough for thirds for my husband lol.
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I have made this as the chicken pot pie & it was delicious. I decided to do the same recipe excluding the chicken & served it as a side veggie dish with grilled salmon. It went beautiful together. I will certainly try both ways again. Company loved it! Katherine ps. I added some par boiled broccoli, carrots & cauliflower, sauted the mushrooms, celery, leek & some chopped cabbage. I combined all the veggies with the sauce. I made the sauce from boxed chicken broth & added a bit a cream. Yum!
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Great ideas. Nice to see creative energy going into recipes. Once you learn the fundamentals, this is when cooking becomes really fun. Thanks for sharing.
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Where is the recipe for the puff pastry?
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Rouxbe StaffHi Francesca, We haven't included a puff pastry recipe here yet. Puff pastry takes a bit of time to make properly, which most people don't have time for. You can usually buy good puff pastry at quality bakeries and grocery stores. It comes frozen, so you'll just have to thaw it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. In the upcoming Rouxbe Cooking School, we'll be teaching people how to make their own puff pastry, so stay tuned.
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very good recipe, but i refear oil voil than batter!
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I think i will use 1/2 the amount of Fennel and Cummin next time. The Fen Cum seemed to overwhelm the dish... Tasty thiugh...
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This is a great comment. For a more neutral chicken pot pie, I would do the exact same thing. Although I loved this combination in Tony's Pot Pie recipe, it certainly comes down to personal taste so you might want to play around with the seasonings a bit. Thanks for sharing your feedback Peter.
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My husband said make sure to give this pot pie a great review- every bite is full of flavour. I have made broth forever but never properly - with cold water, skimming and no boiling. ( Never too late or too old to learn:) Unfortunately I do not have individual dishes the right size for one serving so used a 6 inch wide round dish with 4 inch straight sides and it worked perfectly. It looked beautiful but it was messy to break the puff pastry away from the sides. That was OK for the 2 of us but if you made it for company, I think it would be a real plus to have the individual dishes. I made it the day before and it took over an hour to heat through with the larger size. Another plus of this dish is that there is leftover chicken and lots of broth as well. The fennel and cumin were just right for our tastes - we love those spices so we didn't find it overwhelming but you can definitely taste them. PS - I agree that every bite is full of flavour.
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Easy to follow instructions, precise and the whole family agrees that it was a success. Definitely would make it again and again......pretty impressive when it was served up.
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Can you make this as one large pie? Or does the smaller ramikin size work better with the puff pastry?
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You can make this larger for sure. The small ones are just a bit easier for some people to work with. Also they make for nice individual servings. The larger one won't serve quite the same, but it will still be great (just a bit more rustic). Hope this helps!
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Very nice for a special yet informal occasion, will bookmark it.
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This was soooo good! Will go in my top 10 repeatable recipes. pic:: http://twitpic.com/ny1cx
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I've made this recipe a few times now and it always turns out tasting great. The ramekins I have though are a bit too small so I end up using an 8 inch Corningware pot instead. The issue I have is that the puff pastry sags in the middle and ends up cooking in contact with the filling. Is there anyway to avoid this or is the pot simply too big to work?
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Just make sure the dough is cold and that it fits tightly over the top. Also make sure to seal it to the sides well. With larger ones sagging can sometimes happen.
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I made this for my family and it was a hit. I used a rotisserie chicken and store bought chicken stock to save a little time and it was still great. I also threw in a few diced potatoes. Thanks for another GREAT recipe.
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This is a good recipe. Can I request for a recipe in making puff pastry from scratch?
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Glad you liked the recipe. As for a puff pastry recipe, there is quite a bit of technique involved. This is something that we will likely cover in an advanced course in the cooking school. Cheers!
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About what size should the ramekins be? I have 6 oz. which seem about right to me, or I have 9.5 oz. which appeal to my husband a little bit more. The 9.5 oz. ramekins are wider and I wonder if the puff pastry would be more likely to sag in the middle. What size ramekins would you recommend? This is my first comment so I thought I should add that I am absolutely in love with your site. It has been so incredibly enthralling being able to learn so many important things about the art of cooking in one reliable place. Keep up the awesome work!
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The ramekins we used in the video where approximately 10 cm X 6 cm which I believe is the 9.5 oz ramekin. You are correct that the larger the ramekin the bigger the possibility of the puff pastry sagging. Just be sure to watch the step on assembling the pot pies and you should be okay. Hope this helps - good luck! p.s. thanks so much for your kind words we are so glad you are enjoying the site. Cheers.
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I make a quick puff pastry that comes out really well, but still not as flaky as the classic style. Would really love to see a class. I notice a couple years ago someone asked and I guess it's still in the works. I see from your post, Dawn, that it will be in an advanced course. Any ideas when? In the meantime, after watching your Wheat and Gluten video I'm wondering if I use pastry flour instead of AP in my quick puff pastry recipe that it would be more flaky. Would I substitute all the flour for AP or some ratio of AP and pastry flour?
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Rouxbe StaffThe crunch will actually come from using a flour with a slightly higher protein content (rather than a flour with low protein content). It's important to work the dough to develop the gluten to make it elastic but not so much that the dough will shrink (this is why resting is so important). Try making your puff pastry with bread flour. We cannot give a date as to when puff pastry will be released, as this is considered an advanced technique. Our focus is on finishing the curriculum for the basic culinary level first before we move on to more pastry-related and advanced topics. The basic level will, however, include an introduction to basic doughs. Hope this helps! Cheers!
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I couldn't find this dough in my area Karawaci, Jakarta, Indonesia. How to make it myself?
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Here is two other threads on this subject. Cheers! http://rouxbe.com/community/forums/12/topics/210?page=1#928 http://rouxbe.com/community/forums/21/topics/549?page=3#8511
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i absolutely love this recipe. i have been buying the processed, boxed chicken pot pies forever n i say that doing it homemade is tops, hands down. it is always great to find recipes with vegetables that can be hidden from my daughter. she loved it!!!! we will never eat store bought pot pies again. n next time im going to try using turkey n then beef. great work as always!!!
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I have always bought store bought pot pies but I only got the kind with crust on the bottom. Can I use the pastry puff this way? If so, is there anything in particular I should do so that it browns well and does not stick to the pan?
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Puff pastry should not be used on the bottom of a pot pie. Puff pastry is meant to puff up and be fluffy which happens when steam expands the layers of dough. This will not happen on the bottom of the pie. You are better off to use a flaky pie dough. Cheers!
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Would blanching the vegetables before adding them to the pan help brighten or retain their colors and make for better presentation? Or will they lose color in the oven anyway?
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You could use blanched vegetables if you had them but it's not really necessary in this case. They will lose about the same amount of color, which is not too much by the way. Cheers!
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I made this dish the other night and my picky-eater daughter, who is 21, and does not eat properly, LOVED it! I will most definately be adding this to my recipe box.
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Instead of the overlapping topping as in the video would it be OK to place a simple disc of puff pastry inside the ramekin on top of the filling? Rick
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Yes, a disc of puff pastry would work as well. Cheers!
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Hello I'm about to cook the chicken hot pot pie. The ramekins used in the video appear to be quite deep. Please could you tell me how deep they need to be for best results? Many thanks Rick
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The ramekins we used in the video where approximately 10 cm X 6 cm and about 2 or 3" inches in depth. That being said, don't worry too much about the depth or size as long as things fit in your ramekins you should be fine. Cheers!
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Long story, sorry... I had 20 lbs of chicken thighs frozen into a solid block. I could not separate the thighs without thawing out the whole block... What to do? I have been working on the brining lessons, so I thawed the thighs enough to separate them and brined them for about 8 hours. Once brined, I tried roasting 4 of the thighs but wasn't happy with the results. Flavourful and tender, but had a texture that was too close to the texture of raw chicken. Then I tried fajitas. Same problem Battered and deep-fried. Same problem I decided to take the remaining thighs and make broth. I needed to cook up the remaining chicken before ii went bad. The broth was perfect, and the smell in the house was amazing. Every dog in the village was outside my door! but now what do with all this cooked chicken? I decided to try the Chicken Pot Pie. I had never made anything like this before, but Rouxbe videos were there to show me the way. I removed the meat from the bones, diced it, and immediately began making the mirepoix for the pot pie. Oh my! This was amazingly easy and fun to do, and as things started to come together, my wife began anticipating a delicious meal. There is no way I would ever be able to get "puff pastry" here on the island, so I made a "never fail' pie crust. I didn't drape it over the sides of the bowls (no ramekins here either) I just cut the pastry using one of the bowls as a cutter, and placed the pastry directly on top of the filling. Other than that, I followed the recipe as closely as possible... I egg washed the pastry, vented it, and baked it as stated in the recipe. Wow! This was a labour of love over a period of several days, but I would do it again in a minute. The results were incredible. Home made broth from brined chicken thighs and then putting it all together in a homemade veloute, and baked with homemade dough. The only thing I didn't do was raise my own chickens... although that is certainly possible here!! Now that I have been through several of these lessons, I am beginning to see the results of applying what I have learned in other lessons to the new ones I am attempting. What a fun experience! Thanks to you all. :)
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The text recipe says "Pot pies are a great make-ahead meal, as they can be assembled a day or two in advance and kept in the refrigerator." How about freezing the ready-to-go pies? Is it possible to cook from frozen in a ramekin? Also, any warnings/advise if trying to double or tripple the recipe?
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You could make them ahead and then cook them from frozen. As for advice on doubling or tripling the recipe, I would say that there is not really anything to worry about with this recipe. Just make sure you follow the same skills and techniques as you would when making a single batch, i.e., using the appropriate sized pots and pans. Cheers!
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I'm planning on making pot pies on Sunday for some of my friends. I'm a rather novice cook, so forgive me for what might seem a very simple questions. How long does it take the frozen puff pastry to thaw? I plan on making them for Sunday dinner. Should I buy the pastry on Saturday and leave it in the fridge overnight or should I keep it frozen through Sunday and just move it to the fridge Sunday morning so that it's ready to begin cooking around 5 p.m.? Thanks in advance.
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Because the puff pastry comes frozen, you can buy it anytime and keep it in your freezer until a night or two before you need to use it. Let it thaw in the fridge and keep it cold right up until you start rolling it. Leaving it until the morning won't give it time to thaw before dinner on Sunday. I'd move it to the fridge on Saturday morning at the latest. I've tried thawing the puff pastry in the microwave, but that doesn't work so well. It tends to get way too soft.
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Rouxbe StaffYes, Leigh is correct to thaw it in the refrigerator 1-2 nights before you plan to use it. Never use the microwave to thaw puff pastry. The fat between the layers can potentially melt and the puff pastry will not puff up as much when you go to bake it. When working with puff, you just need to be aware of the time you need in advance. Cheers!
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Any tips on how to wrap in the fridge or freezer?
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Rouxbe StaffOnce the dough on the pot pies has chilled/firmed up in the refrigerator, I would then cover them well with plastic wrap. For the freezer, you can place them on a tray and once chilled/firm/frozen wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and even place into large freezer bags to protect them from getting freezer burn. Cheers!
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We missed turkey at Christmas so I'm going to roast a small (10 lb.) for the two of us tomorrow, then use some of the leftovers, with turkey stock, to make some pies. I expect the taste would be a bit stronger than with chicken. Any suggestions for adjustments to seasoning, etc would be appreciated. Re Freezing: is it safe to re-freeze puff pastry, once it's been thawed? As an alternative to freezing whole pies, I thought I might just freeze the filling, then thaw and assemble the pies when I wanted to make them. What do think about this plan?
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You should be fine with the seasonings in the recipe Gloria. However, if you want change the seasonings, you could try substituting with herbs such as thyme and sage. You could even add a tiny bit of poultry seasoning, if you like. As for freezing the pies once done, you can do it. You could also do as you said and freeze the filling and make them up later, it's really up to you. One would be less work now and the other one would be less work later. Because we are all different — meaning that what I think is good, might not be as good to another person — the best way to really know is to test it both ways. Fully make one pie and freeze it and for the other one assemble it later. You might find that you prefer the final results of one method over the other. Hope that helps. Cheers!
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Gloria, I can tell you first-hand that the Chicken Pot Pie recipe works great with turkey and turkey stock "as is", although Dawn's recommendation of using sage and/or poultry seasoning sounds like a great idea. Secondly, I think your second question, " is it safe to re-freeze puff pastry, once it's been thawed?" is asking if you can refreeze the raw puff-pastry dough?? If that is what you are asking, the concern is not about it being safe... it is probably "safe", but you will ruin the properties of the dough. In my experience, It becomes hard to work with, and doesn't puff well after being thawed and refrozen. I look forward to the day when we will learn the art of making our own puff-pastry from Rouxbe. (hint-hint)
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Thanks Dawn and Leigh for your comments. Yes, my question was about re-freezing the raw pastry, so I appreciate your feedback.
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Leigh, yo are correct—when making things that call for puff pastry, it is ideal to bake it that same day, however; time and schedules do not always allow for this. So, with that said, re-freezing previously frozen puff pastry is often quite acceptable. Here are just a few things to consider: 1) Pre-made, store-bought puff pastry is usually fairly fool-proof. Sometimes it has yeast an/or dough conditioner (an acid) that inhibits gelatinization (starch and water gumminess) when thawed. 2) In cases where you know the puff pastry will still puff enough to suit it's purpose (as in the case of a puff cap on pot pie). 3) When using your own thawed and re-frozen puff be sure it does not get too warm (fridge temperature or cooler is okay but a warm kitchen is probably not). Just be sure to work quickly and try not to let the dough come to room temperature. Otherwise, the butter will begin to soften and water will begin to leach out into the pastry. And since puff pastry is a steam leavened pastry, you want to keep that water bound up in the fat for when it comes time to bake it. This is what will give the puff pastry it's light, airy texture and that "puff" in the oven. Ultimately, it depends on the time and temperature "abuse" that puff pastry is subject to. Hope that helps. Cheers!
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Well I made a double batch of the pie filling and froze half. I made 4 pies with the other half, baking 2 right away (last evening) and saving the other 2 to bake tonight. I thought that by the way I had to work the puff pastry (it was still a bit frozen) that it wouldn't be very flaky. Boy, was I wrong. They were fabulous. The pastry was so light and flaky, and the filling was nice and creamy. Thanks for yet nother winner!
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is it safe to eat after i baked the pastry half way and freeze it and bake it again in the oven to golden colour wen i m ready to eat them?
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Rouxbe StaffSure, Coco - You can do this with ease. The important part is making sure the pot pie is cooled and reheated properly as not to have extended times in the "temperature danger zone".
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Similar to some above, I also do not have small ramekins. I read on a James Beard site to put a glass in the middle of the dish to keep the dough up. I tried it once, but am pretty sure I don't get what he means. Any thoughts on how or if this might work?
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Rouxbe StaffHi Heather- Can you please include a link to your reference? Otherwise, I'm not sure what you mean and can't really support you unless I have more detail. Also, do you mean the James Beard Foundation website? Or is it a James Beard recipe that you found online? ~Ken
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Sure Ken, Here is the link. http://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/old-fashioned-rich-chicken-pie Thanks!
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Rouxbe StaffHuh, interesting... I guess you just place an upside cup in the dish, drape the dough over and bake it that way. Just be sure to remember it's in there! ~Ken
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It sounds like the concern is that the pastry will be soggy if it is allowed to touch the filling. If the crust is not properly vented it will trap the steam from the filling and you will end up with a soggy crust. This is part of the reason that "pie birds" were invented. (just Google that!). I'd worry more about proper venting than trying to keep the crust "above" the filling. Frankly, I think you are best off to spend a couple of bucks at the dollar store and get some proper sized ramekins. I love presenting guests with their own personal "pot pie" hot out of the oven. The oohs and aahs are worth the effort.
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Thanks Ken, I feel better knowing this is strange to others too. I tried it once, and the crust stuck to the top of the cup in a weird way. I thought maybe I did it wrong. Leigh, I'm with you. I think I will finally just take the plunge. I have a lot of ramekins, and was hoping to avoid more stuff, but in the end, I think this size will be worth it. Thanks!
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I made this with my chicken stock I'd made for the week and the chicken cooked in the stock! It was a great easy thing to put together after having both of those already completed! I didn't enjoy this recipe though like I thought I would. It was overwhelming for mine and my boyfriend's tastes. I'll put my own spin on it next time with my own seasoning. It was fun to try it "your way" but I'll trust my own tastes more next time. The only thing I had a big issues with was the puff pastry stuck to the sides of the ramekins on all four of them. I used the egg wash on the outside as it stated so I'm confused as to why it stuck so bad. Any suggestions?
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Hi Mimi and thanks for you comments - I always love your narrative! So sorry that you and your boyfriend didn't like the final result - honestly, I omit the mushrooms and the cumin in this recipe as I too feel that it could be a bit over-powering. When I think about a "Pot Pie", I just want it to be simple and super easy to enjoy. The Shrooms and the Cumin can be a bit distracting. All that said, I look forward to "your" retention of this classic! As for the Puff Pastry sticking to the sides of your ramekin, I've always had luck with applying a bit of butter vs. egg wash to the actual ramekin first...give that a try and let me know! All the best and thanks for both cooking & baking with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk
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Size of ramekins suggested?
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Hi Damon, Good question! Above Dawn answered a similar question as follows, "The ramekins we used in the video where approximately 10 cm X 6 cm which I believe is the 9.5 oz ramekin." I hope that helps! Cheers, Sandy
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