The Quintessential Sunday Dinner Hearty Country Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Crust

Buttermilk Country Chicken Pot Pie

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Preparation time:55 Mins

Cooking time:55 Mins

Servings:6 generous servings

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt (for dough)
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, chilled and cubed
• ½ cup Cold Buttermilk
• 1 large Egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 5 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, diced
• 2 tablespoons Neutral Cooking Oil
• 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (for filling)
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced finely
• 3 medium Carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks Celery, diced
• ⅓ cup All-Purpose Flour (for the roux)
• 2 cups Good Quality Chicken Stock (low sodium)
• ½ cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt (for filling, or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 cup Frozen Peas

Instructions:

• Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk the 2 ½ cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
• Cut in the Butter: Add the cubed, cold butter. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized chunks remaining. Keep the butter cold.
• Add Liquid and Chill: Gradually drizzle in the cold buttermilk, mixing lightly with a fork until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough into two disks (one slightly larger for the base). Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Sauté Chicken: In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Season the diced chicken thighs well with salt and pepper. Sear until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.
• Sauté Aromatics: Lower the heat to medium. Add 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender crisp.
• Make the Roux: Sprinkle the ⅓ cup of flour over the sautéed vegetables. Stir continuously for 1 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Build the Sauce: Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the fresh thyme and bay leaf.
• Simmer and Thicken: Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 7 minutes until the sauce has thickened significantly.
• Combine Filling and Cool: Stir in the reserved chicken, the heavy cream, and adjust seasoning. Stir in the frozen peas. Transfer the filling to a shallow dish and allow it to cool completely before assembly. Discard the bay leaf.
• Preheat and Roll Base: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll out the larger dough disk and line the 9 inch pie plate. Trim the excess dough.
• Fill, Seal, and Crimp: Spoon the cooled chicken mixture into the pastry lined dish. Roll out the second dough disk for the lid. Place the lid over the filling, trim the edges, and crimp the top and bottom crusts together to seal.
• Vent and Wash: Cut 3-4 slits (vents) into the top crust. Brush the entire top surface liberally with the beaten egg wash.
• Bake and Rest: Bake for 35 45 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If edges brown too quickly, cover with foil. Allow the pie to rest for 10 15 minutes after removing from the oven before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	1035 kcal
Protein	13.9 g
Fat	47.1 g
Carbs	58.2 g
Fiber	11.7 g
Sodium	6766 mg

Recipe Info

Category	Main Course
Cuisine	American, British

Elevating Standard Comfort Food: Why This Pot Pie Is Non-Negotiable

A classic Chicken Pot Pie holds an esteemed place in the pantheon of comfort cuisine, but too often, commercially prepared versions or hasty home recipes fall short. They yield thin, pale gravy and chewy, disappointing crusts. This Country Chicken Pot Pie is different.

We focus intensely on traditional Country Cooking principles, building depth of flavor layer by layer and utilizing high quality, cold weather ingredients. This isn’t merely a dish; it’s a commitment to robust, hearty eating.

By using specific techniques often highlighted in meticulous guides like the Cooks Country Chicken Pot Pie Recipe methodology, we ensure a finished product that is rich, satisfying, and utterly unforgettable.

The Magic of the Buttermilk Shortcrust Pastry

The foundation of a truly great Pot Pie lies in its crown. While some recipes opt for the simplicity of a bought Puff Pastry Crust —which delivers decent lift we elevate the texture and flavor profile significantly using a homemade buttermilk shortcrust.

The natural acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the flour and cold fat, inhibiting gluten development just enough to produce a supremely tender and flaky result that standard water based pastry simply cannot achieve.

On top of that,, this shortcrust provides the necessary sturdiness to contain the rich, thick filling without collapsing, contrasting beautifully with the creamy interior.

Unlocking the Depth of Thyme and Savory Gravy

The filling is the soul of this Country Style Chicken Pot Pie . We move far beyond a simple cream sauce by building a proper roux a mixture of butter and flour cooked for several minutes to eliminate any raw starchy flavor.

The richness comes from using succulent chicken thighs and a generous infusion of fresh thyme and a bay leaf, which simmer slowly with the chicken stock and mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery).

The result is a savory, spoon coating gravy, fortified with heavy cream, that provides a dense, comforting suspension for the chicken and vegetables, ensuring every bite is deeply complex and savory.

Why This Country Chicken Pot Pie is Pure Culinary Nostalgia

The beauty of this recipe lies in its rustic nature. It taps into the deep well of culinary nostalgia that defines true Country Cooking . There is something profoundly satisfying about turning simple, wholesome ingredients dark meat chicken, root vegetables, and dairy into a magnificent, golden domed meal.

It is a hearty, deeply flavored dish designed to feed and satisfy a crowd, harkening back to a time when food was made slowly, deliberately, and with care. This particular Country Chicken Pot Pie Recipe embodies that ethos entirely, delivering comfort that you can taste and feel.

Essential Components for a World Class Pot Pie

Achieving perfection in this hearty dish requires attention to the quality of ingredients and adherence to fundamental techniques before the cooking even begins. The best results stem from proper preparation, known in professional kitchens as mise en place.

Sourcing the Best Chicken and Root Vegetables

For the richest, most moist Chicken Pot Pie , boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the superior choice over leaner breast meat. Their higher fat content prevents them from drying out during the simmering process, ensuring the chicken remains tender and flavorful even after the high heat of the final bake.

When selecting root vegetables the carrots, celery, and onions that form the mirepoix base choose firm, brightly colored produce. Dicing them uniformly is critical; this ensures they cook evenly in the pot and soften to the perfect tender crisp texture, integrating seamlessly into the thick gravy.

The Cold Fats Rule: Secrets to Flaky Pastry Success

The difference between merely adequate pastry and breathtakingly flaky pastry boils down to temperature. The "cold fats rule" dictates that the butter used in the buttermilk shortcrust dough must be intensely cold cubed and ideally handled as little as possible.

When the dough hits the hot oven, the tiny, distinct pieces of cold butter melt rapidly, turning into steam pockets. This steam forces the surrounding layers of flour apart, creating the desirable flaky texture.

If the butter melts before baking (due to warm hands or overmixing), the steam effect is lost, leading to a denser, tougher crust. This principle is non-negotiable for achieving that delicate, perfect bite.

Required Equipment for a Perfect Bake

To successfully execute this hearty recipe, specific equipment makes the process smoother and the results better. A large, heavy bottomed saucepan or a Dutch oven is essential for developing the roux and simmering the filling evenly without scorching.

For the final presentation, a 9 inch deep dish pie plate is preferred, allowing ample room for the generous, thick filling. Finally, a pastry blender or a food processor speeds up the process of cutting the cold butter into the flour, minimizing hand warmth interference, which, as noted, is detrimental to the perfect flake.

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Master the Preparation: From Mise en Place to Filling

The journey from individual ingredients to a magnificent baked Pot Pie involves distinct stages of precise cooking. Careful execution of each stage ensures the textures and flavors come together harmoniously.

Building the Buttermilk Pastry: Quick Dough Preparation

The first step is preparing the buttermilk dough. Combine the flour and salt, then swiftly cut the cold, cubed butter into the mix until you see a combination of coarse crumbs and definite pea-sized pieces of butter. This variation in size ensures maximum flakiness.

Introduce the cold buttermilk gradually and stop mixing the moment the dough just comes together into a shaggy mass. Overmixing activates the gluten, resulting in a tough crust. Divide the dough, flatten it into two discs, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for a mandatory minimum of 30 minutes; this rest allows the dough to hydrate and the gluten to relax, making it much easier to roll later.

Sautéing and Infusing: Creating the Rich Filling Base

The filling process begins by searing the diced chicken thighs quickly in oil until they are lightly browned a step that adds crucial savory depth. Remove the chicken, then add butter and sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until they are tender. This aromatic base is vital.

Next, sprinkle the measured flour over the vegetables to form the roux, cooking it for a full minute to remove the raw taste. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, incorporating any savory brown bits (fond) from the pot bottom.

Add the fresh thyme and bay leaf, simmer until the sauce thickens dramatically, then stir in the heavy cream and the reserved chicken. Crucially, the final step for the filling is cooling it completely before assembly; warm filling melts the raw pastry, leading directly to a soggy result.

Assembling Your Rustic Country Chicken Pot Pie

Once the filling is chilled and the dough is rested, it's time for assembly. Roll the larger dough disc and gently fit it into the deep dish pie plate, allowing a generous overhang. Spoon the cooled, viscous filling into the shell. Roll the second disc for the lid and place it over the filling.

Trim the edges and firmly crimp the top and bottom crusts together to create a seal, preventing the rich gravy from escaping. For those wishing to create Individual Chicken Pot Pies , this process can be replicated using smaller ramekins.

Finally, cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam this prevents the pie top from puffing up and rupturing. A final brushing with an egg wash guarantees a beautiful golden sheen.

Golden Perfection: Baking Temperature and Time Guide

The bake for this hearty pie requires a moderately high temperature to ensure the crust browns deeply and the filling heats through completely. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the pie inside and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

The pie is finished when the crust achieves a dark, uniform golden brown and the savory filling is bubbling visibly through the vents. Should the edges of the pastry begin to brown too quickly a common issue due to the butter content lightly cover the perimeter with foil strips to shield them while the center finishes cooking.

Always allow the finished pie to rest for 10– 15 minutes after removal; this allows the rich, thick gravy to set fully, preventing it from spilling out when sliced.

Troubleshooting and Serving Suggestions

Mastering the Country Chicken Pot Pie means knowing how to manage the process flow, plan ahead, and make necessary adjustments for dietary needs while ensuring a flawless final presentation.

Make Ahead Strategies: Freezing and Refrigerating Instructions

This recipe is ideal for make ahead convenience. You have two main options: (1) Make the filling entirely and store it refrigerated for up to three days. This allows you to tackle the pastry fresh on the day of baking. (2) Assemble the entire pie, including the unbaked crust.

If freezing, wrap the assembled, unbaked pie tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be frozen for up to three months. To bake from frozen, do not thaw; brush with egg wash and bake at 400°F (200°C), adding an extra 15– 20 minutes to the total baking time, monitoring the crust carefully.

Dietary Swaps: Vegetarian and Gluten Free Alternatives

The robust nature of this Pot Pie lends itself well to modifications. For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken stock with high quality vegetable broth and replace the chicken thighs with a hearty mix of sautéed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake), firm potato cubes, and roasted parsnips for texture.

For a gluten free Country Style Chicken Pot Pie , use a high quality gluten free flour blend for the pastry and substitute the all-purpose flour in the roux with cornstarch (mixed with a splash of cold liquid before adding) or a specialized gluten free flour blend, ensuring you cook the roux long enough to eliminate any raw starchiness.

Achieving Crispness: Preventing a Soggy Bottom

The dreaded soggy bottom ruins even the best filling. Prevention relies on three key steps: First, cooling the filling completely before assembly, as detailed above. Second, ensure your oven is fully preheated to the high temperature specified; a hot start immediately begins setting the bottom crust.

Third, if you are particularly concerned or using a very wet filling, you can "blind bake" the bottom crust briefly (about 10 minutes) before adding the filling.

However, with the buttermilk shortcrust and the cooling step utilized in this Country Chicken Pot Pie Recipe , this precaution is often unnecessary.

Understanding the Nutritional Breakdown Per Serving

Due to the use of high fat ingredients butter in the crust, chicken thighs, and heavy cream in the sauce this Pot Pie is unequivocally a deeply rich and calorie dense dish, perfect for occasional indulgence or cold weather sustenance.

Based on dividing the pie into six generous servings, each portion typically falls within the 680 to 750 calorie range, providing a significant amount of satisfying protein (over 40g per serving) and carbohydrates.

This high caloric content reflects its traditional purpose as a complete, sustaining, and hearty meal true Country Cooking in every sense.