Chicken Pot Pie

Even though I rarely remember
my mother making this dish, it's still on the top of my list of comfort
foods. Many years ago (I won't say how
many) I found a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie in a Crabtree & Evelyn Cookbook. I remember it was absolutely delicious, and
an exhausting amount of work. I even
remember cutting out the little leaf-shaped pieces of dough to decorate the top
and being so proud of how beautiful it looked. Boy, I had a lot more energy then. Here's how I make it now, and it's every bit as good, if not quite as
attractive. I think it's smart to accept
the shortcomings of age.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe 

2 refrigerated pie crusts,
room temperature
3 boneless chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper
Dried Tarragon
Olive oil
2 medium potatoes, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled &
chopped
1 box of frozen peas, thawed
(or 1 14-oz can, drained)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (or cream,
depending on waistline issues)
Good sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll one pie crust into the bottom of a deep
dish pie pan (I used an 8" square baking dish because that's what I had). Pre-bake for 7 minutes. Keep oven on. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add potatoes and
carrots, and cook about 10 minutes. Drain and reserve. Chop chicken breasts,
season with salt, pepper and Tarragon and sauté in olive oil, turning, until
cooked, about 10 minutes. Set aside. In same skillet, sauté onions briefly. Season with salt, pepper and Tarragon, and
stir in flour. Add more oil if necessary to keep moist. Cook about 3 minutes. Add wine, broth, cheese and milk (or cream),
stir until thickened. Taste and adjust
seasoning. Return chicken to same skillet
and stir. Add vegetables to pre-cooked
crust, pour in chicken/sauce mixture. Top with second pie crust. Cut ventilation
slices in top. Add some cutesy-looking dough
leaves if you're big on that sort of thing, and bake for 30 minutes. Particularly good eaten by a fire during a
snowstorm. Makes about 4 servings (or
dinner & leftovers for 2).