One of my guilty pleasures is watching the cooking show "Master Chef". Actually, it's kind of a family affair because Martin also eagerly awaits each new season's crew of home cooks who are vying for the title of master chef, as well as the lucrative cookbook deal that goes to the winner.
A few seasons ago, we were both deeply impressed by one contestant - a young woman who is blind but still cooks like a pro. You have to picture how the show goes. One week might find a challenge that includes grabbing a live lobster and preparing it, while the next might involve using knife skills to cut a chicken up within a tiny window of time. Nothing seemed to faze Christine, the blind contestant. It got to the point where we jokingly (?) wondered if the whole blind act was a ruse to gain sympathy from Gordon Ramsey and the other judges. I can't cook like Christine with both my eyes in working order so it was quite amazing and mystifying to watch this sightless young woman conquer every task put in front of her, all the way to final victory as that season's master chef.
This is one of Christine's recipes. Emily made the pie when we were in Cincinnati last Christmas and I really liked how it tasted. Even though I have a tried and true pot pie recipe Martin approves of, I decided to prepare this one a few weeks ago. It's both hearty and simple. all at the same time. If you like lots of veggies in your pie, this might not be the recipe for you but I'd at least give Christine's version a try. The potatoes more than make up for random veggies like peas and lima beans while the seasonings give this pie a unique and totally satisfying flavor.
After serving it for dinner one evening, I cut the remaining pie into slices and froze them. Even a former fast food addict like me loves being able to take out one of those slices and heat it for a quick, healthy lunch.
Christine Ha's Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
3 tsp. butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 and 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 large Yukon gold potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
12 ounces cooked chicken, cubed
2 tsp. melted butter, for brushing the crust
Pie Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into 16 pieces
1/3 cup ice cold water
Roll out half the pie crust into a 1/4 inch thickness Lay the dough in a 9 inch pie pan. In large pan over medium heat, melt 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the butter. Add onion, celery, carrots, parsley, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are tender. Add the stock to the pan, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Add the potato. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking until it is free of lumps. Add milk and chicken mixture to vegetable mixture and cook, uncovered for 20 minutes or until liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and pour filling into pie pan. Roll out remaining pie dough to 1/4 inch thickness and drape over filling. Trim overhanging dough, flute edges to seal. Brush melted butter over top crust. Using a sharp knife, make four slits on top.
Bake for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes longer or until crust is golden. Serve warm.
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