CHICKEN POT PIE
Yield: 4 servings
½ (17.3-ounce) package (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry, thawed and unfolded
5 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups chicken broth, heated and divided
½ teaspoon salt, if needed
1 pound chicken breast meat, cooked
¼ cup leek (white part), washed and sliced thin
½ cup carrots, cut in ¼-inch dice
½ cup cooked peas (frozen is fine)
1 (8.75-ounce) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the individual casseroles you will be serving the pot pies in as you would a cookie cutter to cut out circles of puff pastry dough (if you won’t be able to get all 4 out of a single sheet of pastry dough, roll it out first with a rolling pin until the dough is large enough to accommodate all 4 circles). Place circles on prepared baking sheet and bake until the pastries turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Melt 4½ tablespoons of the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Gradually add 3 cups of the hot chicken broth, whisking constantly. Cook until velvet smooth and the flour taste has disappeared. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Set aside and keep warm.
Dice the chicken into ½-inch cubes and keep moist and hot in the remaining 2 cups hot chicken broth. Set aside. Melt the remaining ½ tablespoon butter in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and carrots and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the peas and corn and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
Add the vegetables to the sauce and stir in the pieces of hot chicken (reserve the stock for a future use). Divide this filling among 4 individual casseroles, top each one with a circle of puff pastry, and serve immediately.
PER SERVING: 579 calories; 33 g fat; 17 g saturated fat; 103 mg cholesterol; 39 g protein; 47 g carbohydrate; 6 g sugar; 4 g fiber; 1,769 mg sodium; 47 mg calcium.
— Adapted from “Marshall Field’s Gourmet: A Taste of Tradition”