Slow Donnie Chicken Pot Pie

Okay… so… first thing, This isn’t pie. There’s chicken in here. Like… a lot of chicken. And white carrots. And vegetables. Little green guys just hangin’ out. Mmm. That’s… that’s warm. The sauce, whatever this is, it’s like gravy, but smarter. Not show-offy. Just… supportive. Like a good friend who doesn’t talk too much. And the crust on top? Crunchy. But underneath? It’s soft, like the kisses they give on Showtime. Yeah. I like this. It makes my pants feel tight. Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie!

Ingredients

8-10 mushrooms
2 stalks celery
1 bulb’s worth fennel fronds
1 leek
3 cloves garlic
1 parsnip, chopped
1/2 cup parsley
1 tbs salted butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs minced rosemary
1 tbs dried sage
1 tbs fresh thyme (plus 1 tsp additional for crust)
1 bay leaf
5 chicken thighs
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1 5 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 double pie crust or 4 rounds puff pastry
egg yolk
1/2 tsp large flake salt salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
Chop the mushrooms, celery, fennel fronds, leek, and parsnip.
Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the salted butter to the pan and add the chopped vegetables to the pan and cook until just tender. Chop and add the parsley and cook an additional minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan into a separate container.
Salt and pepper the chicken thighs. Add the olive oil to the saute pan and sear the chicken thighs on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs and add the rosemary, dried sage, thyme, and bay leaf to the pan. Allow herbs to bloom for about 30 seconds and add the chicken stock. Cover the saute pan and let thighs poach in the stock for 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and allow to rest. Take 1 cup of the cooking liquid and add to a blender with the cooked white rice, Swiss cheese, evaporated milk, nutmeg, and cayenne. Blend until smooth and add back to the saute pan.
Reduce saute pan sauce to a simmer, Add the vegetables back to the saute pan with the sauce. Chop the chicken thighs and add back to the saute pan. Mix to combine and simmer 3-5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.
Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and place mixture into a pie crust or into 4 smaller pie pans with no bottom crust.
If using a pie crust add the top crust or if using smaller pie pans top with the rounds of puff pastry and cut vent holes in the crust to release steam. Brush the top crust with egg yolk and top with additional thyme and flake salt.
Bake pie(s) in oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow pie to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve.