How to make delicious chicken pot pie (savory chicken pie) at restaurant quality

How to make Chicken pot pie

• 1

  Prepare the chicken and other ingredients

  For the chicken, you can use tweezers to pluck any remaining feathers on the chicken body, then rub the chicken with lemon and 1 tablespoon of salt, soak for about 10 minutes, then rinse several times with water. Use paper towels to dry the chicken thoroughly.

  How to clean chicken properly, without odor

  • Remove the oil glands at the chicken’s tail, or cut off the entire tip of the tail to avoid affecting the dish’s flavor.
  • Use lemon or vinegar, salt, crushed ginger, or white wine to rub on the chicken for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water.
  • Soak the chicken in diluted saltwater mixed with a little white wine for about 15 minutes to effectively eliminate odors.

  See details: The simplest tips to eliminate the odor of chicken when cooking

  Peel 2 onions, cut them into wedges, and for the remaining onion, dice it. Crush the garlic lightly, peel it, and leave the cloves whole.

  Wash the carrots, peel them, cut one into small pieces and dice the other.

  For potatoes, if you buy baby potatoes, just wash them, peel them, and cut them in half. If using large potatoes, cut them into bite-sized pieces.

  Trim the celery, wash it, and cut it into pieces about the length of a finger.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Marinate the chicken

  First, add about 1 teaspoon of salt inside the chicken and rub it evenly.

  Next, add in order 50g of unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 10g of dried thyme leaves (or it can be replaced with thyme leaf powder), 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a bowl. Use a flat whisk to mix the butter and combine the mixture evenly.

  Then, put a little of the mixture inside the chicken, rub it evenly, using your fingers to rub between the chicken breast and the skin to help the chicken absorb the spices better and become more flavorful. The remaining marinade, you rub evenly on the outside, all sides of the chicken.

  Next, stuff the chicken’s cavity with 1 lemon, 1 onion, and 2-3 cloves of prepared garlic.

  Finally, tie the chicken legs tightly with string and tuck the wings back, this will help the chicken look better after roasting and prevent the wings from burning.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Bake the chicken

  Before baking, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes to stabilize the oven temperature.

  Then, place the chicken in the baking tray, bake at 165 degrees Celsius for 80 minutes, and let the chicken rest in the oven for about 20 minutes to ensure it is dry and fully cooked.

  Tip: When baking the chicken, you should use a tray with a rack, as this will help the chicken cook evenly on both sides without needing to turn it during the baking process. Additionally, it allows you to collect the chicken fat after baking to use for cooking chicken broth.

  

  

  
• 4

  Strain and shred the chicken

  Prepare 2 bowls, then chop the chicken into pieces to make shredding easier.

  Strain the skin, bones, and chicken meat into the 2 bowls, and shred the chicken.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Simmer the chicken

  Put the chicken bones and skin into the pressure cooker, add 1 onion, 1 carrot, 3 – 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 celery, 1 teaspoon of pepper, a little thyme and parsley, 1 bay leaf dried.

  Pour about 2.5 – 3.5 liters of water until it covers the chicken, and add the chicken fat that was drained after roasting. Close the pot lid and simmer the chicken at high heat for 45 minutes.

  If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simmer the chicken in a regular pot for about 1 hour over medium heat.

  Note: During the simmering process, absolutely do not season with any spices, especially salt. Because the broth after completion has a moderate saltiness and sweetness, adding more spices will make the broth too salty and not tasty anymore.

  

  

  

  
• 6

  Cook the chicken sauce with vegetables

  Place a pot on the stove, add 50g of unsalted butter, and melt it over medium heat.

  Then, add the carrot, onion, potato, thyme, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot, mix well, and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes over low heat until the vegetables start to soften, then add about 50g of all-purpose flour, mixing well to dissolve the flour.

  Next, while stirring, pour the chicken broth into the pot and continue cooking over medium heat until the mixture thickens, then add 50ml of heavy cream and stir well.

  Finally, add the chicken, peas, and a little parsley, mix well for about 2 – 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.

  

  

  

  
• 7

  Making the dough

  Chilled butter should be kept in the refrigerator until it hardens, then cut into square pieces about 1cm.

  Gradually add to a bowl the ingredients including: 250gr all-purpose flour, 5gr salt and mix well. Next, divide 125gr of chilled butter into 3 portions and add to the flour bowl, using a fork to mash the butter each time before mixing it well with the flour.

  Then, add about 1 tablespoon of cold water and 1 tablespoon of vodka to the flour bowl and mix well. Keep adding a little cold water to the bowl and mix until the mixture reaches a moderate softness, not too dry, and when pressed, the dough sticks together.

  Sprinkle a little flour on the table, pour the dough out and knead it into 2 pieces. After that, use a rolling pin to flatten each piece of dough, then use a pastry cutter to fold the sides of the dough, rotate the dough about 90 degrees, and continue using the cutter to fold the dough again.

  Continue doing this until the dough structure sticks together and when cut, the layers of dough are clearly visible.

  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

  Tip: The method of kneading dough and making the pastry is similar to making croissants, so you can refer to the dough recipe from TasteVN.

  See more: How to make croissants that are fragrant and rich

  

  

  

  
• 8

  Shaping and finishing the pie

  After taking the dough out of the refrigerator, let it rest for 5 – 10 minutes at room temperature, which will make rolling the dough easier.

  Sprinkle a little flour on the table, then use a rolling pin to roll out 2 pieces of dough into circular shapes of 12 inches (about 30.5 cm) and thicknesses of 1/4 inch (about 0.6 cm) and 1/3 inch (about 8.8 cm).

  Next, to place the pie dough into the mold without tearing, you should use the rolling pin to roll the dough up. For the base, use the piece of dough that is 1/3 inch thick.

  Lay the dough over the pie mold, gently press the dough down at the bottom and along the edges according to the shape of the pie mold, then use scissors to cut off the excess dough. Beat about 1 egg and use a brush to apply a thin layer of egg over the entire surface of the pie.

  Finally, pour the chicken filling into the pie tray, spreading it evenly. Roll out the remaining dough on top, brush another thin layer of egg on the pie, and use a knife to make 4 small slits on the surface of the pie, which will help the pie release steam while baking.

  Sprinkle a little salt then place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to help maintain the shape of the pie, so that the pie will look more appealing after baking.

  

  

  

  
• 9

  Baking the Pie

  Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at a temperature of 190 degrees Celsius.

  Bake the pie at 200 degrees Celsius for 40 – 50 minutes until fully cooked.

  

  
• 10

  Final Product

  Chicken pot pie with an eye-catching golden brown exterior. When you cut a piece, you will hear the crispy sound of the crust, while the inside features tender, rich chicken filling along with soft, sweet vegetables that are incredibly appealing.