savory chicken pot pies

How To Make savory chicken pot pies

• Step 1
  This refined version of an old American classic has a rich, flaky, meaty-tasting crust, thanks to its mixture of lard and chicken fat.
• Step 2
  The latter is a handy byproduct of the precooking of the chicken the day before.
• Step 3
  Make sure the chicken fat is good and cold when making the crust.
• Step 4
  Season chicken parts to taste with salt and pepper.
• Step 5
  Melt 2 tablespoons butter and oil together in soup pot.
• Step 6
  Add chicken and brown.
• Step 7
  Add chicken broth, quartered onion, celery chunks and carrot chunks and bring to boil.
• Step 8
  Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender, 20-30 minutes.
• Step 9
  Let cool.
• Step 10
  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Step 11
  Next day, skim cold chicken fat off top of broth.
• Step 12
  Reserve 1/4 cup fat for making rich pastry crust.
• Step 13
  Keep reserved chicken fat in refrigerator.
• Step 14
  Heat broth and remove chicken.
• Step 15
  Skin and bone chicken parts.
• Step 16
  Discard skin and bones.
• Step 17
  Cut meat into 2\" chunks and set aside.
• Step 18
  Strain broth.
• Step 19
  Reduce over high heat to 3 cups.
• Step 20
  Combine 1/4 cup melted butter and flour in saucepan and gradually stir in broth.
• Step 21
  Bring to boil and boil 1 minute.
• Step 22
  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Step 23
  Stir in tarragon.
• Step 24
  Cook pearl onions, potato, sliced carrots and broccoli separately in boiling water until tender, 5-10 minutes each.
• Step 25
  Drain.
• Step 26
  Toss together cooked chicken, cooked vegetables and mushrooms.
• Step 27
  Stir in chicken-tarragon sauce.
• Step 28
  Divide into 4 (2 cup) oval casseroles.
• Step 29
  Make rich pastry crust.
• Step 30
  Divide dough in half and gather into 2 small flattened rounds.
• Step 31
  Roll first half on lightly floured board to 1/4\" thick.
• Step 32
  Cut dough to fit tops of 2 casseroles, leaving enough dough to overhang edges by 1\".
• Step 33
  Repeat with second half of dough.
• Step 34
  Brush edges of casseroles with egg yolk and place crusts atop casseroles.
• Step 35
  Flute edges.
• Step 36
  Make 4 triangular cuts in center of each crust and fold back tips of triangles.
• Step 37
  Brush crust with egg yolk (save egg whites for another use).
• Step 38
  Bake at 400 until crust is golden brown and contents hot and bubbly, 20-30 minutes.
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