Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe courtesy of John DeLucie
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup fresh or frozen pearl onions
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, trimmed and cut into quarters
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken, chopped onion, celery, and chopped carrots in a large stockpot; season with salt and pepper and enough water to cover. Wrap thyme and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to enclose; add to pot. Cover pot and place over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Strain, discarding vegetables, and reserve chicken and liquids separately; let cool and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice-water bath. Add baby carrots to boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to ice-water bath until cool. Drain; set aside. Place peas in boiling water and cook about 30 seconds; drain and set aside. Add pearl onions to boiling water and cook about 1 minute, transfer to ice-water bath until cool. Drain; set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes; let cool. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large nonreactive bowl along with baby carrots, peas, pearl onions, and mushrooms; set aside. In a medium skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and heavy cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with chicken and vegetables; toss to combine.
Divide mixture evenly between four 13-ounce shallow baking dishes. Cut puff pastry into four 8-inch circles and place on top of each of the bowls, crimping edges as desired. Cut a slit in the center of each piece of puff pastry to allow steam to escape; brush beaten egg over puff pastry. Transfer bowls to a baking sheet. Bake until puff pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Over Egg Noodles
Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Over Egg Noodles
Yields 4 servings
1 pound egg noodles
Salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds thin-cut, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cremini mushrooms, large ones cut in quarters small ones cut in half
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken stock, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
20 chives, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Place a large, covered pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil for the egg noodles. Season water with salt and cook the noodles according to the package directions. While the water is coming up to a boil, preheat a large skillet over high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chicken, spreading it out in an even layer, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes on each side.
In another large preheated skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the mushrooms. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Once the mushrooms have browned up, season them with salt and freshly ground pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter or add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the mushroom skillet, then add the flour. Cook for 1 minute and whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, the heavy cream and Dijon mustard. While the mushroom skillet is coming up to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock to the skillet with the chicken and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Transfer chicken and the liquid to the skillet with the mushrooms. Stir to combine, and cook about 1 minute more, or until thick. Drain and then return the noodles to the pot and add the 2 tablespoons of butter a little salt, pepper, chives, and parsley and stir to melt the butter.
To serve, divide the noodles between 4 serving plates, spoon the chicken and mushrooms over the noodles and garnish with chives. Serve with a green salad alongside.
Creamy Cremini-Mushroom Dip
Creamy Cremini-Mushroom Dip
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
Yields 15 servings
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms caps, diced
3 tablespoons flour
1 splash good quality dry sherry
1 cup half-and-half
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 palmful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 package party-size (little squares) rye or pumpernickel bread
Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove and reserve. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once it melts, add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add flour to the mushrooms and cook for a minute or two. Add the sherry. Once the alcohol has burned off and the sherry has reduced a bit, a couple of minutes, stir in the half-and-half. Cook until thickened and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in the almonds, nutmeg, and parsley, and pour into a serving bowl and serve immediately with bread alongside.
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