Chicken Tarragon Watercress Puff Pie Recipes

CHICKEN, TARRAGON & WATERCRESS PUFF PIE

Steps:

• Poach the chicken (you can do this ahead, if you like). Put it breast-side down in a large pot with half the leek, bay, carrot and peppercorns and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cover and poach for 45 mins. Carefully remove the chicken from the water (drain the cavity so you don't scald yourself), remove the breasts from the carcass and return the carcass to the poaching liquid for a further 12 mins. Remove the chicken from the pot and leave to cool, then strip the meat off the bones. Boil the stock until reduced by at least half, then strain.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Fry the remaining leek, onion and garlic for 8 mins until softened and aromatic. Deglaze with the wine and cook off for a few mins, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the peas to the pan, along with the watercress and tarragon. Pour over 200ml of the stock, season, grate over the zest of the lemon and add a little of the lemon juice. Bring to the boil and cook for a further 3 mins until the peas are cooked. Purée the sauce using a food processor or stick blender, then stir in the soured cream. Taste and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice if needed. Add the chicken to the sauce.
• Pour the pie filling into a 23-25cm pie dish and allow to cool a little. Cut a circle from the puff pastry sheet the same size as the pie dish and top with the pastry. Use a pie bird or cut a slit to let out steam. Crimp the edges with a fork, brush over the beaten egg and bake for 30 mins until the crust is puffed and golden. Serve with mashed potato and carrots, if you like.

CHICKEN, HAM, AND TARRAGON PIE

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry on a floured counter and, using your pie dish as a template, cut out a piece to generously fit the top. From the trimmings, cut a 3/4-inch wide strip (it can be in pieces) to fit around the rim of the dish. Dampen the edges and stick the strips in place around the rim.
• Mix the ham and tarragon into the chicken filling, then spoon this into the dish. Dampen the top of the pastry strip and place the pastry round on top. Trim the edges and press down gently. Decorate the top if you wish with pastry shapes made from the trimmings, then brush with the beaten egg and make a small slit in the top for a steam hole. Either freeze or cook within 4 hours (keep the pie in the fridge).

CHICKEN-TARRAGON POT PIE

Steps:

• To make the crust, combine flour, butter, shortening, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse together just until the mixture is crumbly and butter is broken into small pieces. Pour 1/3 cup ice water into the machine, and pulse 3 or 4 times. Squeeze a little dough in your hand to see whether it clumps together and is evenly moist. If not, add another tablespoon of water, and pulse 1 or 2 times more. Don't overmix so that the dough forms a ball.
• Turn out dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Lift ends of plastic to gather dough together inside. Press into a large disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
• To make the filling, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, leeks and tarragon, and cook, stirring, just until slightly softened but not browned (reduce the heat if necessary to prevent browning), about 3 minutes. Transfer cooked vegetables to a bowl, wipe out the skillet, and place it back on the stove.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking, until the mixture bubbles and smells cooked. Do not let it brown. Whisk in 2 cups broth, and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in cream, and cook 2 or 3 minutes, just until thickened. Add salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in remaining broth.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Add cooked vegetables and peas, chicken and sauce to 8-inch deep pie dish or other baking dish, mix gently, and taste for seasoning.
• Flour a work surface. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll out the dough, turning and flouring often, and cut a shape approximately the size of your baking dish plus 1 1/2 inches overlap all around.
• Roll dough up onto the rolling pin, and unroll over dish, so it rests evenly on top of filling. Fold the edges under and crimp. Poke tip of knife through crust to create 3 vent holes near the center. Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the entire crust with egg wash. Place on cookie sheet, and place in oven.
• Bake 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes more, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling through vents. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH EXOTIC MUSHROOMS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Wash the chicken under cold water. Tie the bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth as a sachet garni. Put the chicken into a pot large enough to hold it, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, carefully skimming off any scum and grease that accumulates on the surface of the water. Add the salt, sachet garni and onion, carrot, celery and leek, return to the boil, reduce again to a strong simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and cool the chicken in the broth in an ice water bath. When thoroughly cold, remove the chicken and strip off all of the skin and discard. Strip the meat from the bones, and shred using scrupulously clean hands and work station. Strain the liquid, discard the vegetables and the bouquet garni.
• Place the chicken broth in a 4 quart casserole and bring to the boil. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for 10 minutes. Mean put he butter in a saute pan and begin to cook the shallots over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook over high heat for 5 minutes .
• Add the cream to the pot over broth and vegetables and then add the Sauteed mushrooms to the pot. Simmer this for 5 minutes before adding the chicken and continuing to cook for 20 minutes. Add the tarragon and place into single serving crocks or bowls and top each one with a biscuit.
• 4 to 6 portions
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. After the dry ingredients are thoroughly blended, add the buttermilk, cream and combine. Add the cold butter in rapid succession, combining only briefly, to leave the mixture as mealy as possible.
• Scrape this lumpy dough onto a lightly floured board and flatten gently with a rolling pin into a rectangle shape approximately 1-inch thick. Cut into 4 or 6 equal rounds. Brush a cookie sheet lightly with melted butter, place the rounds on the sheet and place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator to rest for 20 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the chilled shortcakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are nicely browned.
• 4 to 6 ( 4-inch diameter) round biscuit tops

CREAM PUFFS WITH TARRAGON CHICKEN HASH

Steps:

• Remove the skin and bones from the chicken breast and discard. Cut the meat into very small cubes. There should be about one and one-half cups. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended, add the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, stir in the cream.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, cayenne and tarragon. Let simmer, stirring, about two minutes.
• Add the chicken and stir. Bring to the boil.
• Slice off the tops of all the cream puffs. Spoon an equal portion of the mixture into each cream-puff bottom. Replace the tops and serve.