Chicken Pot Pie with White Wine and Leeks

Making this Chicken Pot Pie, or CPP as it is lovingly referred to by my close friends, is an event. It’s super rich and a bit more time intensive than my average weeknight dinner, so making this dish always feels a like a special occasion. For me, it’s the ultimate comfort food, but it always feels a bit elevated. The perfectly golden crust with flaky sea salt comes out so beautifully that you’re going to find yourself staging a photo shoot of these delicious little pies. White wine and leeks add a more complex flavor to the luscious filling. Serving these in individual ramekins means everyone gets plenty of flaky crust. You can make this filling in advance and add the pastry dough right before baking for a show stopping dinner party dish.

Serves 6.

·      1 ½ sticks butter

·      2 large leeks—trimmed, cleaned, and halved

·      4 large carrots—peeled and diced

·      2 cups white mushrooms—chopped

·      ¾ cup all-purpose flour

·      1 cup dry white wine

·      5 cups chicken broth

·      2 chicken bouillon cubes

·      ¼ cup heavy cream

·      1 lb. cooked chicken—shredded

·      2 cups frozen peas

·      2 sheets frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm)—thawed

·      1 egg—beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

·      Kosher salt

·      Freshly cracked black pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.     Remove green tops from the leeks and thinly slice the white bottoms into ¼ inch strips.

3.     Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, leeks, and mushrooms and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the carrots have softened.

4.     While the vegetables cook, heat the chicken broth, in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, in the microwave for 2 minutes on high heat. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the chicken broth.

5.     Add the flour to the vegetable mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the white wine to the pot and scrape to deglaze the pot. Cook until the white wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

6.      Add the hot chicken stock to the roux and stir until smooth and combined. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. 

7.     Add the shredded chicken and peas. Mix well to combine. Divide the filling equally among 6 ovenproof ramekins.

8.     Roll out the puff pastry on a clean, floured surface. Cut the sheet into 6 even squares, approximately 4 inches X 4 inches each.

9.     Brush the rim of each baking dish with egg wash, then drape the puff pastry dough over the top of the dish, leaving 1/5 inch around the sides of the ramekin.

10.  Brush the puff pastry with egg wash and make 4 small holes in the top with the tip of a knife.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

11.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. Let rest 10 minutes. Serve hot.