Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

makes 1 9-inch pie

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For the Crust:

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

For the Filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

3/4  cup whole milk

2 ounces cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cubed chicken meat (I cooked two chicken breasts)

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 cup thinly diced carrots

1 cup diced fresh green beans

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

To make the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.  Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture.  Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas.  Create a well in the butter and flour mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk.  Use a fork to bring to dough together.  Try to moisten all of the flour bits.  On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture.  It will be moist and shaggy.  That’s perfect.  Divide the dough in two and gently knead into two disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, start by dicing the onion, garlic, carrots, green beans, and thawing the frozen peas.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in the flour.  Mixture will be very thick.  Heat for 1 minute.  Turn flame to low and slowly add the chicken stock.  Whisk until no flour bits remain.  Whisk in the milk and add the cream cheese.  Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until cream cheese has melted and the mixture is the consistency of warm, thick pudding.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Remove mixture from heat and spoon into a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter (or olive oil, if using).  Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add minced garlic and saute for one minute more.  Add carrots, green beans, and peas.  Cook for  about 5 minutes.  The vegetables will not be entirely cooked through.  That’s ok!  Remove from heat and stir in cooked, cubed chicken.   Stir the mixture to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Set aside and allow the filling to cool slightly.

To assemble the pie, remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into about a 13-inch round.  Roll the dough a few strokes, then use your fingers to move the emerging circle around the floured surface.  This ensures that the dough isn’t sticking to the work surface.  The circle won’t be perfect, that’s ok.  Try not to get any tears in the rolled out dough, but if you do, they can be patched together with extra dough.    When you roll the dough and you can see it start springing back, that means that the butter is warming and the crust shouldn’t be rolled out anymore.  Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in a deep 9-inch round pie dish.  Place in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.

Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, moving the dough across the floured surface every once in a while, and creating a roughly 13-inch circle.

Spoon the filling into the bottom pie crust.

Carefully remove the top crust from the work surface and drape over the filling in the pie dish.  With a small knife, trim the crust, leaving about 1-inch overhang.  With your fingers press the top and bottom crusts together and fold under.  Use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges of the dough.  Cut five small slits in the top of the crust so the steam can vent.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and place in the fridge to chill while the oven preheats.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place pie in the oven bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce the oven heat to 375 and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hours before serving.  Place covered in the fridge to store.  Pie lasts up to 3 or 4 days.