Photo by Gina Moore
Serves 6
2 bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts, baked
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 carrots, peeled, halved and sliced diagonally
3 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken stock
1½ cups milk
½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup sherry (optional)
1 cup pearl onions
1 cup button mushrooms, whole
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt
White pepper
1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
1 9-inch piecrust, store-bought (refrigerated) or homemade
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove skin and bones from chicken breast, and shred meat. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Saute carrots and celery until translucent, about 5–8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, and stir. Whisk in stock, then milk. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 10 minutes, until thickened, stirring frequently. Add chicken, thyme, sherry, onions, mushrooms, parsley, salt, pepper and peas. Stir until well blended.
Grease a deep-dish, 9-inch, round baking dish with butter. Pour chicken mixture into dish. Cover with piecrust; fold under any excess dough, and crimp around the sides. Make a small slit in the middle of the crust. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the egg wash. Bake 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
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Recipe tip
White pepper or black pepper? – To the average palate, there’s no difference in taste between black and white pepper. White pepper is often used in white sauces, soups and gravies, only because it looks more appealing than small, black specks floating in a light-colored sauce or broth.