Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (2024)

Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

If one can’t cook, one can certainly join in the Julia Child birthday celebration by posting one of her favorite Julia Child dishes, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie recipe.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (1)

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit.”

-Julia Child

GIPHY

Mrs. Child’s practical and palatable approach to food and her in Julia’s kitchen advice, wry sense of humor, and signature brand of cooking techniques continue to inspire the foodie faithful of the this culinary world we deliciously exist in.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (2)Smithsonian Magazine

I continue to marvel at the tenacity of Mrs. Child. She was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and deliciously excelled in achieving it. The informativetimeline of Julia Child’s lifeis a fascinating read.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (3)PBS

What makes a great chef? In the case of Julia Child, I believe her mass appeal is derived from her ability to impress upon us her passion for the process from pegboard to prep to plate.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (4)Harvard Radcliff Institute

In honored celebration of Julia Child’s birthday, this week’s recipe is from the Julia Child and Jacques Pepin cookbook and PBS series of the same name, Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (5)Julia and Jacques, Cooking at Home

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (6)

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (7)

Julia and Jacques Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 Tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons ice water

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

For the Filling:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup thinly sliced leeks

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 cup frozen babygreen peas

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2½ cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups leftover roast chicken, cut into ½-inch chunks.

Directions

For the crust:

Combine flour, butter, shortening, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse together just until the mixture is crumbly and butter is broken into small pieces. Pour 1/3 cup ice water into the machine, and pulse 3 or 4 times.

Squeeze a little dough in your hand to see whether it clumps together and is evenly moist. If not, add 2 tablespoons of water, and pulse 1 or 2 times more. Don’t overmix so that the dough forms a ball.

Turn out dough, pâte brisée, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Lift the ends of the plastic to gather dough together inside. Press into a large disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, leeks and tarragon, and cook, stirring just until slightly softened but not browned (reduce the heat if necessary to prevent browning), about 3 minutes. Transfer cooked vegetables to a bowl, wipe out the skillet, and place it back on the stove.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking until the mixture bubbles and smells cooked. Do not let it brown.

Whisk in 2 cups broth and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in cream, and cook 2 or 3 minutes, just until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If the sauce is too thick, whisk in remaining broth.

In the episode, Julia states “And as always, you want to make more sauce than you think, don’t you think? Never enough.”

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Add cooked vegetables and peas, chicken and sauce to 8-ounce deep pie dish or other baking dish. Mix gently and taste for seasoning.

Flour a work surface. Remove dough from refrigerator, and cut in half. (Set aside half for another recipe.) Roll out remaining dough, turning and flouring often, and cut a shape approximately the size of your baking dish plus 1½ inches overlap all around.

Whisk egg in a small bowl. Brush onto rim of dish. Roll dough up onto the rolling pin, and unroll over dish, so it rests evenly on top of filling. Press overlap onto the rim and against the outside of the dish, sealing tightly. Poke tip of knife through crust to create 3 steam holes near the center.

Place on cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling through steam vents.

Allow to rest and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (9)

Bon appétit!

Happy cooking!

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (10)

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Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? ›

Butter, Onion, & Garlic: The aromatic flavor base for many sauces and soups, including creamy chicken noodle soup. Flour: Flour thickens the sauce. Seasonings: We're flavoring this pot pie filling with salt, pepper, and thyme. Chicken Stock/Broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth/stock instead.

How do you keep the bottom crust of a chicken pot pie from getting soggy? ›

The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust (sometimes covered with parchment or foil and weighed down with pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling up) so that it sets and crisps up before you add any wet filling.

Why does my chicken pot pie get watery? ›

A watery potpie may be the result of not cooking the filling for long enough or adding too much liquid to the filling. Another possible reason for the pie being watery is if you add watery vegetables like spinach or green beans to the filling rather than potatoes or carrots, which soak up liquid.

Why do you not use a bottom crust on chicken pot pie? ›

I only gave my pot pie a top crust, because I feel like the bottom crust always gets soggy. If you do want to add a bottom crust, I suggest blind baking it. What does blind baking mean? It's when you bake your pie crust without a filling in order to crisp it up.

What do you use to thicken chicken pot pie? ›

Unfortunately, the filling relies on flour for thickening. However, you can substitute it to make it truly gluten free a few ways. You can dissolve cornstarch in the COLD milk before pouring it into the skillet. You can use a one-for-one gluten free flour substitution, or you can use arrowroot!

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

Should I egg wash the bottom pie crust? ›

You've spent time and effort putting the pastry together, so don't sell yourself short by skipping the final step—the egg wash for the pie crust. The truth is that cream and egg washes are a simple but vital step to improving the appearance and flavor of pies and other baked goods.

What is the difference between chicken pie and chicken pot pie? ›

In the South, some folks make a distinction between chicken pie and chicken pot pie. Chicken pies, also known as “chicken and pastry,” are the savory versions of fruit pies or cobblers, made with homemade crust and no, or very few, vegetables. Chicken pot pies typically include vegetables and have a top crust only.

What ethnicity is chicken pot pie? ›

Chicken pot pie is an all-American comfort food. The most iconic version of it originated in Lancaster, in Pennsylvania Dutch country, but was brought to the United States by European settlers and had its roots in English dishes made from leftovers.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

What makes chicken pot pie unhealthy? ›

Most of the fat and calories in pot pie comes from that crust. And don't worry, we wouldn't ask you to give up it -- just make some changes. Crusts made with shortening, lard or puff pastry are overloaded with artery-clogging saturated and trans fats.

How to thicken a chicken pie filling? ›

Mix together cornflour and milk and pour it into the stock to thicken. Return the chicken to the sauce along with the cream. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste.

Why does chicken pot pie hurt my stomach? ›

A warm chicken pot pie might feel just right on a chilly day, but it can also do a number on your stomach. This seasonal food favorite is often loaded with fat, a common IBS trigger. The wheat in the crust is a source of the fermentable fiber fructans, says Scarlata.

What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie without? ›

Here's how I make this comfort food classic. Yum! What is the sauce made of in chicken pot pie? Butter, flour, broth, a little heavy cream, and a splash of white wine, if that's your kind of thing.

What is pan pan sauce? ›

Pan sauces, as the name suggests, are made in the exact same pan you've used to sauté shrimp, sear a steak, or brown some onions. After cooking your meat, fish, or vegetables, those little leftover particles stuck to your pan's bottom—called the fond—transform into a silk smooth sauce in a process called deglazing.

Why does chicken pot pie have so much saturated fat? ›

High Saturated Fat: The pastry crust in chicken pot pie is often made with butter or lard, which is high in saturated fat.

What can I use instead of chicken broth in chicken pot pie? ›

Chicken Broth Substitute: Salted Butter + Water

If you don't have broth on hand and want a little more flavor than just plain water, try subbing in 1 cup of water plus 1 tablespoon of butter for every cup of chicken broth in your recipe. The butter will help create a richer flavor than just water alone.

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