Chicken Pot Pie

I was so inspired to find a good Chicken Pot Pie recipe after Seth brought home delicious leftovers from one of his events.

Of course I found the perfect recipe inside of the my "The New Best Recipe" book!

First, make the Buttermilk Biscuit Topping...

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup plain cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, quartered lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed

-Pulse the dry ingreditents together in a food processor. Add the butter pieces and blend. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir with a fork until the dough gathers into moist clumps. Put the dough in the fridge (for up to 2 hours) while you make the Chicken Pot Pie.



Chicken Pot Pie
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-large onion, chopped fine
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 small celery ribs, cut crosswise 1/3 inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 cup frozen peas thawed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Adjust an oven rack tot he lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400˚. Put the chicken and broth in a small Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Cover, bring to a simmer, and simmer until the chicken is just done, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, reserving the broth in a measuring cup.

Increase the heat to medium-high and heat the oil in the now-empty pan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. While the veggies are sauteing, cut the meat into bite size pieces. Transfer the veggies to a bowl with the chicken; set aside.



Heat the butter over medium heat in the again-empty pan. When the foaming subsides, add the flour; cook about 1 minute. Whisk in the reserved chicken broth, the milk, any accumulated chicken juices, and the thyme. Bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer until the sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the sherry.

Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the peas and parsley. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Top with desired pastry (I prefer the buttermilk biscuit but Seth wants me to try whole wheat next time).

I decided to add my own little love to the pot pie!




Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Serve it hot!

We paired the pie with a delicious bottle of 2006 Wilderotter Cabernet Sauvignon which is said to be "Violet, smoky, toasty, vanilla, tobacco, spicy, grippy, leathery, vivid blackberry and cherry lingers with tannins giving way to fruity then, tobacco and back – complex and inviting" which is exactly as I like it. It is a $32ish bottle of wine and worth every penny!











Now just make sure you have great friends to enjoy it with! We had the Wiley's over for a game night of Quench! The guys won 4 to 3 but we will continue where we left off next time!

KSW

Pear-and-Goat Cheese Crostini

I've been doing a bit of work for Rachael Ray's magazine Everyday With Rachael Ray and I came across this amazing appetizer recipe!

Seth and I spent a lazy Saturday night at home and I thought I'd try it. It was delicious!



Preheat oven to 350˚. In a small bowl, toss 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts with 1 Teaspoon of honey and then with 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar to coat. Arrange them in a single layer on a prepared (parchment covered) baking sheet and roast, stirring once, until slightly candied, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.



Increase the oven temp to 400˚. In a single layer on a new baking sheet, arrange 3 large bosc pears-peeled, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Top with 1 tablespoon of chilled, chopped butter. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of honey. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden, about 25 minutes.

Spread one side of the toasts with goat cheese (the recipe calls for 6 oz) and top it with arugula (recipe calls for 1 cup). Drizzle with olive oil and top with the pear slices. Sprinkle with the candied nuts and sea salt.



Seth isn't a wine drinker, but I'm working on him! We enjoyed a delicious glass of 2009 Saracco Moscato D'Asti which apparently is "like cashmere on the palate in its impossibly fine mousse. Beautifully articulated varietal aromas and flavors come together, showing exceptional elegance and pedigree." It was sweet but refreshing after a day in the sun!



It was all so good that we decided to skip dinner and just go right for the dark chocolate covered almonds!

KSW

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...About Wine

Leather, Wood, Dirt, Dust, Spice, Smoke and Earth.

Tonight I picked up a bottle of red. I wanted something incredibly brave that could stand on it's own.

I found a bottle of French Red from the Languedoc Region, the 2008 Pech Redon La Clape Les Cades for about $14. The write up said "This really over delivers for the price. Big ripe cherry, black berry, strawberry and blueberry mix with dusty tannins, yet velvety. Awesome with a steak."


Our review: Woody tanins with a cedar finish. I felt like I was in a candle lit room with Napoleon Bonaparte. We definitely decanted the 2nd glass...which opened up nicely to expose plum and berries.

We paired it perfectly with a little Dylan.


KSW