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CHICKEN POT PIES

Ingredients for filling 
1 ½ lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs 
2 C. Chicken Broth or Stock 
1 ½ T. Vegetable Oil 
1 Large Onion, Cut into ¼” dice 
3 Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” coins 
Salt and Pepper 
4 T. Butter 
½ C. Flour 
1 ½ C. Milk 
1 t. Thyme 
¾ C. Frozen Peas 
3 T. Parsley Leaves, minced (optional)

Ingredients for crust 
3C. Flour
1 C. (½ lb.) Butter, cut into tiny pieces and well-chilled
Ice Water, as needed
1 t. Salt 

Procedure for crust 
1. Preheat Oven to 400?
2. In a mixing bowl, with the paddle attachment, put in the Flour, Butter, and Salt. 
3. Mix together on low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the Flour and butter begin to get incorporated. It should start to look like nuggets.
4. Slowly pour in ¼ C. of the Water. Stop, and let the dough absorb it before adding anymore. Continue this way: adding a tiny bit of water, waiting, and then adding a tiny bit more. Stop adding water when the loose flour has been incorporated, and you are just able to gather the dough into a ball. It should not look wet at all, but it’s OK if little blobs of butter still show through.
5. Press it into a flat disk, 1” thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Procedure for filling 
1. In a large sauté pan, place the Chicken Broth, Thyme, Salt and Pepper.  Heat it over Medium Heat.  When hot, carefully add the Chicken breasts.  Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just cooked. It is better to undercook slightly, than to overcook at this point (it will finish cooking later).
2. Remove the Chicken from the broth, and set aside to cool before cutting it into ½” chunks.  Strain the Chicken Broth and set it aside.
In another Saucepot, heat the Oil over medium high heat.  When it is melted, and the foam has subsided a bit, add the Onions. Cook them for a minute or two, stirring, until they have softened slightly. (Do not let them brown). Add the Carrots, and continue to cook for 1 or 2 minutes. 
3. Add the Butter to your Onion/Carrot mix, and after it has melted completely, add in the Flour.  Stir it well, and cook for a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. 
4. With a whisk, pour in the Milk and the reserved Chicken Broth in a steady stream. Do not dump them in! Whisk it until it comes up to a boil, and it becomes smooth. Let it boil for a minute, and then taste to make sure that the flour taste has disappeared. At this time, also check to see if you need more Salt or Pepper. 
5. Add in the reserved Chicken and Peas, Parsley.

To Assemble 
1. Cut the Dough into 6 or 8 pieces, depending upon how many pies you are making. 
2. Roll it out into a circle, 1” larger in diameter than your pie plate. 
3. Put your filling into the pie plate, and carefully place the Dough over the top. Pinch the dough onto the edge and get a good seal. With a fork, press the dough into the edges firmly to help seal it better and to create a decorative pattern. Trim away any excess dough hanging over the edge. 
4. Cut two or three hole in the center, to allow the steam to escape during cooking. 
5. If desired, you can glaze the top by beating together 1 Egg with 1T. Water, and then brushing it over the top. 
6. Place the Pies onto a baking tray and bake until the tops are a medium golden brown and the edges are crisp.(20-30 minutes for small pies, longer for large).

Variations 
Feel free to use any Vegetables you like. Just cook them with the Onion and Carrot
Some Suggestions: Mushrooms, Broccoli, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Pearl Onions.
Feel free to use Turkey 
To make Beef Pot Pies, use Chuck or a similar cut. Before cooking, cut it into chunks, season with salt and pepper, and then sauté it briefly over high heat with a little oil, rather than poaching it (like we did with the Chicken). Substitute all Beef Broth for the Chicken Broth and Milk.