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By Root 201 0

was the guest of honor. The main course? Chicken pot pie. Go figure! Frozen puff pastry sheets work really well here without compromising the dish, but allow an hour or more to thaw the frozen sheets. Serving individual pot pies makes for a great presentation. You can pick the crocks up at any kitchen store or use 2-cup ramekins if you already have them.

Serves 4

Chicken Broth

1 whole chicken, 3 pounds 3 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces

3 celery stalks, cut in 2-inch pieces

1 onion, halved

1 head garlic, halved horizontally

2 turnips, halved

Bouquet garni: 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 1 bay leaf—all tied together with kitchen string

Pot Pie

¾ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 carrots, cut in ½-inch circles

1 cup pearl onions, peeled (see Notes)

1 cup sweet peas, frozen or fresh (see Notes)

Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 egg

¼ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Put the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 1 gallon of cool water. Add the vegetables and herbs and bring the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim well; then simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming frequently as the oil rises to the surface. What we’re doing here is not only cooking the chicken but also creating the base sauce for the pot pie. It’s the old trick of killing two birds with one stone—or one pot, as the case may be. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. Continue to cook down the chicken broth for another 15 minutes to condense the flavor; you should have about 8 cups when you’re finished. Using a colander, strain the chicken broth into another pot and discard the solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones.

Wipe out the stockpot and put it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Melt the butter and then whisk in the flour to form a paste. This is a roux, which will act as a thickener. Now, gradually pour in 8 cups of the chicken broth, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. Whisk and simmer for 10 minutes to cook out the starchy taste of the flour and thicken the broth; it should look like cream of chicken soup. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the shredded chicken, carrots, pearl onions, peas, and thyme. Stir to combine and turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured, cool surface. Invert a crock on the pastry sheet and, using a sharp knife, cut circles around the outside of the bowl, slightly larger than the bowl itself. Fill the crocks three-quarters of the way full with the chicken mixture, making sure each serving has a nice amount of chicken, vegetables, and broth. Carefully cap each crock with a pastry circle, pressing the dough around the rim to form a seal. Lightly beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash and brush some on the pastry. Sprinkle the pastry with the Parmigiano cheese. Set the crocks on a cookie sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Chicken pot pie is such a complete meal that I wouldn’t serve it with anything but a nice glass of sauvignon blanc or a cold beer.

Notes: If using fresh pearl onions, blanch for 2 minutes in salted boiling water; then pinch the skins off—if using frozen, run under cool water for 2 minutes to thaw.

If using fresh peas, blanch for 2 minutes in salted boiling water—if using frozen, run under cool water for 2 minutes to thaw.

Roasted Chicken

with Moroccan Spices

1½ hours

This is a quick throw-together with intense Moroccan flavor. Cooking the chicken on a rack allows the oven’s heat to circulate around the bird and cook it faster. Serve the chicken with Baked Eggplant with Sesame Yogurt and Mint.

Serves 4

1 whole chicken, 3½ pounds

1 cinnamon stick, chopped in pieces

8 whole cloves

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1½ teaspoons sea