RUTH’S CHICKEN POT PIES
Recipe by Ruth Milstein, with wine pairing tips by her husband Howard
You can make this dish with puff pastry which you’ll find in most supermarkets in the frozen aisle. Bake it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I chose to bake rolls. You can use fresh medium-size rolls with a solid bottom crust. If you do, cut the top with a sharp knife and empty part of the inside dough. If you use puff pastry, cut an opening around the top just before serving. Serve with a green salad for a perfect meal. Makes 6 servings.
1-pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch chunk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium red skin potato, washed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup chicken stock or 1 cup water and 1 cube chicken-flavored bouillon
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon orange zest
6 medium size rolls or 6 puff pastries
Put the chicken pieces in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; add the flour and mix until coated evenly. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken pieces; reduce the heat to medium, and sauté for 3 minutes while turning occasionally. Transfer to a plate, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside. Add the remaining tablespoon of the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the onion and the carrot for 1 minute, add the potatoes, and stir in the peas, garlic, thyme, and parsley. Continue to sauté for another 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. (Note: You may prepare all the above a day in advance!) Add the chicken stock and the wine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and let simmer uncovered until the liquid reduces by half for about 3 minutes; add the chicken, and simmer for 1 minute. Turn the heat off and stir in the orange zest. The texture should be somewhat thick like a stew. Transfer evenly into the rolls; cover with top and serve hot immediately. The dish is suitable for kids too, as the alcohol will evaporate while cooking.
Howards Wine Pairing Tips:
With its rich filling and flaky pastry, we thought the chicken pot pie would welcome a buttery, oaky chardonnay, but that may not always be the case. The best matches are whites with crisp, clean profiles — including some more restrained chardonnays, or those that are un-oaked. The dish’s earthy vegetable and chicken begs for a nice Grüner Veltliner or an Alsatian Pinot Gris. The former is a refreshing, medium-bodied, peppery white wine that grows almost only in Austria. With its stone-dry fruit flavors, Grüner Veltliner goes with everything from green salads to cold poached salmon to roasted chicken. The best Grüners can be quite expensive and worth aging; there are, however, some amazing ones available at decent prices. Pinot Gris is like Pinot Grigio, but the Alsatian varietal grape has a different profile. Pinot Gris is a touch fruitier, full-bodied Alsatian style. (Not to forget there are some wonderful domestically grown Pinot Gris’ from Oregon too.) While Pinot Grigio is lighter-bodied and drier with a more acidic style, we have the same grape being used but with a different production style and terroir. The Pinot Gris with its rich texture and dry, reticent apricot and fruit flavors, will go quite well with the crusty dough and savory chicken and vegetables. If you are in the mood for red wine, perhaps try a relatively light-bodied inexpensive Beaujolais. I prefer a single vineyard Beaujolais with its slightly richer mouthfeel and texture. Both these wines could complement this dish nicely.
Ruth Milstein is the author of the Gourmand award-winning cookbook ‘Cooking with Love: Ventures into the New Israeli Cuisine.’ Visit https://www.ruthmilstein.com/
