Although, I didn't eat chicken pot pie much as a child, I have come to
love this southern comfort classic. Most recipes are loaded with butter,
flour, and heavy cream, but these are not ingredient options for me. To
thicken the pot pie filling, I relied on a blend of homemade chicken stock,
organic cornstarch, and unsweetened almond milk. For the crust, I used a
combination of gluten free flour, cornmeal, and coconut oil, to lend a buttery,
sweet dough. Do not let the long list of
ingredients and steps fool you. The
filing is slightly loose, making it easy to moisten the crust with extra juices
when serving.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- (1) 3 ½ to 4 pound chicken
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil, divided
- 5 ½ teaspoons celtic sea salt,
divided
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper,
divided, plus additional for seasoning the chicken
- ¾ cup celery, chopped
- 1 ½ cups carrots, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 cups (1-14 ounce package)
frozen green peas
- 2 cups chicken stock,
preferably homemade
- ¼ cup organic cornstarch
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
For the topping:
- 1 cup multi-grain flour blend
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons celtic sea salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin coconut oil
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond
milk
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
and line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chicken
on the prepared baking sheet and season generously with 1 teaspoon sea
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of
olive oil and rub the seasoning and oil into the meat. Roast for
about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the meat registers at
180 degrees. After the chicken has cooked, remove it to a plate to
rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 4
tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add
the celery, carrots, and onion and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the peas, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
Whisk together the cold milk and cornstarch until no lumps remain.
Gradually whisk this mixture into the simmering stock. Bring
to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Off the
heat and set aside.
- Once the chicken is cool enough
to handle, remove the skin and bones. Using your hands, shred the
meat directly into the pot. Season with 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt and ¼
teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Pour the filling into a large
(9 x 13 inch) casserole dish.
- To make the topping, whisk
together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium
bowl. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut oil,
milk and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and
stir until combined. Pour the batter directly on top of the filling.
Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before
serving.
Make ahead: The filling can be prepared up to two days before serving.
While the oven is preheating, place the casserole dish with the filling
into the oven. Once the oven reaches 425 degrees, remove the filling from
the oven, pour the batter on top, and cook for 40 minutes.
