This elegant and delicious dish is really just a "Frenchified chicken pot pie", but don't tell anyone! Shhhhh!
Debone the chicken and cut into large chunks. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dust with flour.
- 1 4-pound chicken, deboned and cut into large chunks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 8 ounces assorted wild mushrooms (shiitakes, chanterelles, morels, etc.)
- 1/2 cup Port wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- Lemon juice
- 1 pound puff pastry
- Eggwash: 1 egg, beaten, with 1 tablespoon water
In a pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil, saute the chicken pieces over high heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Degrease the pan, add the shallots and mushrooms. Deglaze the pan with the Port. Saute briefly, shaking the pan, for about 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to boil for 3 minutes.
Lower heat toa simmer, return the chicken to the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttrers, swirling it in until melted, and the parsley. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Divide the chicken and sauce equally into four individual pots or casseroles. Refrigerate until cool.
Meanwhile, roll the puff pastry out until it's aobut 1/4" thick. Cut four rounds of puff pastry, slightly larger than the circumference of the casseroles.
When the chicken is cooled, brush the edges of the casseroles with eggwash. Cover with the pastry. Freeze for about 10 minutes before baking. Brush the dough with eggwash.
Place the casseroles into a 400F oven and bake until the pastry begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and bake another 10 minutes.
Place each casserole on a plate and serve.
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[Go to The Gumbo Pages' Home Page]Chuck Taggart (e-mail chuck)