Pot pies are one of those secret guilty pleasures that we’ve all indulged in. I’m referring, of course, to those frozen blocks in the little foil pans from the supermarket freezer case.
You don’t have to feel guilty about this pot pie though. Made entirely from scratch, it’s chock full of good, wholesome ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your fridge. It’s likely that the only ingredient you’ll need to buy specially for this recipe are the fresh mushrooms, unless you’re lucky enough to find some wild mushrooms yourself.
(Important: Always be 100% CERTAIN of the identity of any wild mushroom that you consume. If you’re not sure, don’t risk it. It’s just not worth it.)
You can use any mixture of fresh mushrooms, wild or cultivated. We used fresh lobster mushrooms because a) they’re in season right now and b) we like their firm, meaty texture and pleasant flavor.
Fortunately, we also had some leftover roast chicken on hand, but if you don’t, you could quickly saute a couple of chicken breasts or (gasp) use store-bought rotisserie chicken. Mushrooms, especially wild mushrooms, make an excellent substitute for meat or seafood in many dishes, so you could just as easily skip the chicken altogether.
You’ll only need half of the pastry dough for this recipe (unless you double it), but don’t worry – any leftover dough can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for a day or two before using. If you don’t think you’ll be using it right away, it can be frozen very successfully for several weeks. The frozen pastry dough thaws at room temperature pretty quickly too, so you’ll find that it very handy to have around, especially when you want to whip up a hot meal on short notice.
Wild Mushroom & Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/2 lb fresh wild and/or cultivated mushrooms (we used lobster mushrooms)
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 lb cooked chicken, cut or pulled into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup green peas, snap peas or snow peas
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 recipe pot pie pastry (recipe follows)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Make the pastry dough as described below. Refrigerate until 5 – 10 minutes before needed.
Clean the mushrooms by brushing away the dirt or, if especially dirty, with a quick rinse under cold running water. Blot dry and chop coarsely.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add the stock and milk; raise the heat and quickly bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir in the peas and chicken. Cook for a minute or two more, then remove from heat. The mixture should be fairly thick. Spoon into a single large baking dish or individual baking dishes or ramekins.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into pieces large enough to cover your baking dish(es) and place on the top of each one, overlapping the sides slightly. Cut several baking vents into each crust. Brush the tops with beaten egg and place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Slip into the oven and bake until the crust is crispy and golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.
Let rest for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Pot Pie Pastry
- 2 1/2 cups
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 5 minutes before rolling it out on a lightly flour-dusted surface.
Many of the ingredients used in this recipe, and other recipes on the Earthy Delights Blog, can be purchased online at our retail website, Earthy.com. We welcome you to visit the Earthy.com website to view our extensive selection of hard-to-find ingredients and our complete Recipe Collection of over 500 tested recipes.
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