The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
» Recipes for Chicken-Green Chile Potpie in Puffy Tortilla Shells and Natilla,
Many customers have told me this is the best pot pie they’ve ever tried. The creamy chicken and vegetable filling, punched up with sour cream, fresh thyme, and jalapeños, is hard to beat. But what really makes it memorable is the presentation. Instead of a traditional crust, I drop flour tortillas one at a time into hot oil for just a minute, long enough for them to puff up and turn golden brown. Then I carefully crack the tops open and spoon the filling in. I recommend using La Banderita tortillas, as they are a little thicker than other brands and puff up better. If you don’t want to mess with the hot oil, you can substitute baked puff pastry shells or even hot biscuits for the tortillas.
1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into pieces 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 jalapeños, stemmed and minced (remove some or all of the seeds and membranes for less heat)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated white American cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons Blond Roux (below)
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, such as La Banderita Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup roasted, peeled, stemmed and chopped jalapeños (remove some or all of the seeds and membranes for less heat) (or use canned Ortega)
Place the chicken pieces and 1 tablespoon of the salt in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook just until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and cool slightly. Reserve 2 cups of the stock for the gravy. Remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat and set aside.
Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, jalapeños, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the thyme and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the reserved stock, cream, and sour cream. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cheese and cook until melted. Lower the heat to medium. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the roux, and simmer, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in a little more roux if needed until the mixture reaches the desired thickness. Add the shredded chicken and the peas, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Keep warm.
To make the puffy tortillas: Line a platter with paper towels. Heat 1 ½ inches of oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over high heat to 400 degrees. Add the tortillas, one at a time. Let each cook for about a minute, until puffed up and lightly browned, spooning oil over the top as they cook (do not flip).
Remove to the paper towel-lined platter to drain. Allow the oil to return to 400 degrees between each tortilla.
To serve, poke a hole in the top of each tortilla, ladle 1 to 1 ½ cups of the chicken mixture into the hole and garnish with the roasted jalapeños.
Serves 8.
Per serving: 748 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 29 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 55 grams fat (31 grams saturated), 195 milligrams cholesterol, 1,689 milligrams sodium. BLOND ROUX
I like sauce and gravy — and lots of it. You can thicken sauces and gravies with a paste of flour (or cornstarch) and cold water, or make a beurre manié the way the French do, by blending softened butter and flour with your fingers or a spoon, and stirring in bits at the end of the cooking. You have to be very careful with the methods, though, because if you don’t cook the sauce long enough, it will have a raw flour taste. But you will never have this problem if you make a blond, or white, roux, as cooks do in Louisiana. In a blond roux, the butter and flour mixture is cooked, and it thickens without imparting much flavor and with little risk of lumps forming. Unlike the more time-consuming dark roux used for gumbo, this cream-colored roux is hard to mess up and takes only a few minutes to make.
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and whisk vigorously until smooth. When the mixture thins and starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, whisking slowly, until the mixture smells nutty and toasty and is still lightly colored. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool at least to room temperature before adding to hot liquids.
The roux stores well, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
For 1 cup roux: 12 tablespoons butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (Thickens 3 quarts liquid.)
For 1/4 cup roux: 3 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (Thickens 3 cups liquid.)
Per tablespoon: 113 calories (percent of calories from fat, 72), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 88 milligrams sodium.