Chicken Pot Pie With Homemade Puff Pastry - Alton Brown

Transcribed from Good Eats episode 14x15. This calls for Scotch, or blitz, puff pastry, a much abbreviated and simplified version of the French classic; don't be intimidated!

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Pastry Crust

• 10  ounces bread flour
• 2  ounces whole wheat flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt, processed in a spice grinder to yield 1 tsp fine salt
• 10  ounces unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
• 12  tablespoons  ice water

• Filling

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil, divided
• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (thighs and or or breasts)
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1  large yellow onion, chopped
• 8  ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2  medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2  medium celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3  ounces all-purpose flour
• 2  cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1⁄2 cups 2% low-fat milk, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 lb frozen green pea
• 1  teaspoon  freshly chopped thyme
• 1  teaspoon  freshly chopped tarragon

• Egg Wash

• 1  large egg, beaten
• 1  tablespoon water

Directions

1. In a zip-top bag, combine bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt and butter. Place in freezer for 1 hour.
2. Place a 10-12" cast iron skillet over high heat. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. When it shimmers, cook chicken pieces (in batches, if necessary to avoid crowding) along with 1 tsp kosher salt. When cooked through but not browned, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Return pan to heat, but reduce to medium. Add another 1 tbsp oil, then add onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery and garlic, as well as 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme and dried tarragon. Cook, stirring often, until onions are wilted, about 4 minutes. Add butter. When melted, sprinkle over flour and stir well for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw-flour taste. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes until thickened.
4. Off heat, return chicken to sauce, along with peas, fresh thyme and fresh tarragon. Place a large flat lid on top of the skillet and set aside.
5. Dump the flour-butter mixture onto a clean counter. Using a bench scraper, chop into the mixture until the butter is reduced to the size of peas. Sprinkle ice water over the mixture 1-2 tbsp at a time, then fold in with bench scraper. Once 8-10 tbsp of water is incorporated, and the flour is starting to form clumps, scrape the mixture together into a 4" square pile, and start whacking it with a rolling pin, until it forms a 12x4" rectangle. Fold in thirds and repeat. If the butter starts to feel soft, place a baking sheet (which you previously stored in the freezer) on top, then place ice packs or zip-top bags of ice on the sheet pan, for 5-6 minutes, until it firms up again.
6. After 4 repeats of the letter fold above, the last will be a book fold - fold both ends into the center, then fold in half at the resultant seam. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and refrigerate 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 425°F.
8. Set 4 16-ounce souffle dishes or onion soup crocks on a baking sheet. Beat together egg wash and have standing by. Cut dough in half; roll one piece out to about 1/4" thick, using bench flour as necessary to avoid sticking. Find a pot lid a little wider than your dishes and use it to trace out two circles from the dough; repeat with the other piece. Brush each disk with egg wash.
9. Fill dishes almost to the top with chicken mixture. Top each with a disk of dough, egg wash side down. Brush the exposed tops with more egg wash. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, then rotate pan 180°, lower heat to 400F and cook another 15-20 minutes until tops are deep brown and crispy. Cool on a rack 10-15 minutes before serving.