Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Cheddar Crust

I have a thing about comfort food.  Well, truth be told I have a thing about MOST food, which is painfully obvious to everyone (especially those who check out my expanding waistline).  So today, because naturally it is hot and windy and miserable, the only thing to do was to create a hot dish.

I know.  It doesn't make sense to me either.

That being said, here is the recipe.

FOR THE INNARDS:

1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 head broccoli, tassels only
2 or 3 carrots, chopped
one container of mushrooms, sliced

GOO:
4 T butter
4 T flour
2 1/2 c milk/heavy cream combo (because when in doubt, you should ALWAYS add cream)
pinch or two of saffron
1/2 c white wine (can substitute water/broth)
2 tsp chicken bouillon (I prefer Better Than Bouillon.  Because it's better.  It says so on the label.)
1 1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese

CRUST:
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, chilled
1/2 c shortening, chilled
1/2 c water 
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

AND NOW WE BEGIN!

The humblest of ingredients, waiting to be submitted to the tender mercies of my needing-to-be sharpened knives.

Chop up your vegetables.  Remember, they are going into a pie and you don't want to have a bite that is ALL carrot, or ALL zucchini.  Think of this as a salad between piecrusts, and the salad law dictates that you want a bit of EVERY component in EVERY bite.
When you slice your leeks, remember to soak them in water first to remove any excess dirt they may be harboring within their tasty layers.

First, you take a leek...

This is where I miss JedI particularly badly.  He would make short work of all the veggies in no time at all, where I make missiles of them.  The dog doesn't mind, since she eats them.

 Next chop up your chicken.  I personally use kitchen shears, because I am a lazy and shiftless cook who has no sous chef to order around.

 Next, add enough water to cover the veggies/chicken, and a pinch of saffron.  Cover and let them simmer until the chicken is cooked through, but the veggies are still firm (approximately 15 minutes).  Nobody wants gooshy vegetables.  Drain them but reserve some of the liquid, then set them aside for a bit.

This is saffron.  It's pretty and it's delicious.

 Next, you'll begin your pastry crust.  Put the flour, shortening, butter, and salt into your food processor and mix it until it starts to look crumbly.  Add 1 cup of your cheese and mix again, then add 1/4 cup of water.  Blend it just until it starts to hold together--wrastling with pie crust is what makes it tough.  Again, nobody wants a callous or calloused pie crust.

 Dump the pastry onto some saran wrap, flatten it into a 7-inch disk, and pop it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour or so.  Then do all of this again, for the second pie crust. 

 Roll out the pie crust and then fill it with the chicken/vegetable mixture. 

 This is where we start the REALLY good stuff.  I always thought it was bechamel, but JedI has informed me that if it has cheese it's really called mornay sauce.  Say it.  Mornay. 

Dissolve your bouillon into your white wine, add a pinch more saffron, and set it aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the flour.  Cook it for approximately five minutes or so, stirring it.  Don't skip cooking it for a bit; if you do, your pot pie goo will have the lingering taste of flour, which is not at all what we are going for.  For fanciness, this is referred to as a roux. 

  Good mornay, sweetie.  How did you sleep?

At this point I needed more hands in the kitchen if I were going to simultaneously photo-document and stir.  The stirring won out.  Sorry.

Grab a whisk, and SLOWLY pour the milk/cream into the roux.  It will initially thicken drastically; whisk it until it's nicely blended with no lumps, and then put the whisk in the sink.  Its job here is done.

Cooking on medium heat, stir the sauce until it thickens (this can take a while).  When it is thick, stir in your bouillon .  Next add your parmesan cheese one fistful at a time.  Stir in a figure 8 motion so your cheese doesn't melt into a giant glob.  When it is all incorporated, take it off the heat and pour it over the vegetables in your piecrust.  You might want to mix up the veggies and the mornay to ensure that every vegetable is lovingly coated in heart-attack creamy cheesy buttery goodness.

Cover your innards with your second piecrust and seal off the edges.  Most people go top-folded-under-bottom, but I do the reverse.  I find that it seals it up better and has far fewer chances for leakage.  Also, my piecrusts are not pretty.  When looking at my piecrusts we ALWAYS use the term "rustic," which means "looks like hell" but since it's called rustic I could serve this to anybody anywhere and they would appreciate my epicurean offering.

Rustic pie crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 40-45 minutes, until it is browned and delicious.

A browned and delicious chicken pot pie.

Now, you must wait.  It smells delicious and you are DYING to dig in; but the melty goodness will burn your mouth like a mothereffer, trust me, I know.  Give it at least 20 minutes resting to just...assimilate.  It will be worth it.

 

Anxiously awaiting the cooling period.

Well, hello there.

If you share your pot pie with me I will love you forever.

Please note the disgruntled dachshund in the background.