Sunday Supper: Food and Wine Pairing of the Week

Moderately Boozy Chicken Pot Pie and Chardonnay

What is it about fall that just makes us crave comfort foods?

Is it the soul-warming indulgence of dishes brimming with gravies, sauces and creams, the security of a hearty meal filling a previously empty belly, the rich cooking smells that waft through the house offering a “welcome home” to friends and family, arriving with cheeks flushed from the brisk autumn air?

Probably, it’s all of the above. And the convenient fact that many of the dishes that make up our favourite list are fabulous one-pot wonders that are as easy to make as they are to clean up.

And let’s talk about ease for a moment, shall we? After last week’s post, when apologies were offered for the simple recipes we offer during our busy weeks, we quickly heard how those easy – yet tasty – recipes are a must for most of us, as we all lead lives that are on fire, and even if we didn’t, simple elegance is what many of us strive for.

Validated that chefy recipes are best left to the chefs, we press on, balancing home, work, family and friends with a good glass of wine and delicious dinner. Today’s recipe goes from sublime to ridiculously easy, because two of the major ingredients – chicken and puff pastry – you can buy already made. If you want. And if you don’t, well, make ’em yourself, you fabulous chef, you.

Moderately Boozy Chicken Pot Pie

serves 6

What You Need

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large carrots (or a handful of baby ones which is what we had), chopped
• 2 celery stocks, sliced
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen spring peas
• 1 cup corn nibblets
• 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 3 cups Chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• Egg white

How You Do It

1. Roast your chicken, if cooking from scratch, and once cooked, shred into bite-sized pieces
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt your butter and add oil
3. Add onion and leeks, cooking til onion is translucent, about 5 minutes
4. Add carrots and celery cooking for another 3 minutes or so
5. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant
6. Lightly season with salt and pepper (you will adjust seasoning later, so go easy at this point)
7. Add in thyme (TIP – we really prefer dried thyme for this recipe. In long simmering recipes fresh thyme sprigs are great, but there’s not enough time on the stove to allow for fresh thyme to really impart flavour)
8. Add mushrooms and cook until wilted, about 5 more minutes
9. Deglaze with cognac
10. Cook down for a minute then add flour and stir to coat all vegetables
11. Add chicken stock and stir to combine everything, ensuring no flour lumps are left
12. Once chicken stock is warm, add in sour cream, stirring quickly so it melts evenly
13. Once sauce is thick and bubbly, add peas and corn and add more S&P, if necessary
14. Pour in white wine and stir (TIP- we like the white wine added at the end to give a subtle “winey” flavour. Sometimes at the end of creamy recipes we like to add a little acid to lighten the dish up. We could have used a small splash of white wine vinegar, but why would we do that when a perfectly good bottle of white wine is on hand?)
15. Ladle mixture into small casserole dish (8×8), or for individual servings, ladle into 6 oven-proof ramekins
16. Roll out pastry dough on a floured work surface
17. Beat the egg white in a small bowl
18. Lightly line the edges of the casserole dish with egg wash
19. Lay the pastry over top of the casserole dish, making sure of overlap by about an inch
20. Crimp the side to secure pastry, brush with egg wash and cut a hole in the middle for steam to escape
21. (You can chill in the refrigerator for a few hours until ready to bake)
22. Heat the oven to 425
23. Bake until the pasty is golden, about 30 minutes

The Wine Sisters’ Wine Pairing

We’re huge Chardonnay fans, so it doesn’t take much convincing for us to crack open a bottle. But considering the roast chicken, butter, corn, creamy sauce and pastry are all classic matches for Chard, this was a no brainer.

Quails’ Gate Chardonnay, VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2012

$21.95 Vintages 377770

A rich and intense Chardonnay filled with sweet oak aromas of vanilla, butterscotch and caramelized tropical fruit. The palate is creamy and full with custard and vanilla flavours, alongside a mineral note. Mouthwatering acidity keeps this fresh and focused.

How Did the Pairing Work?