A Better Chicken Pot Pie

My daughter, Leila, found this in an
All Recipe magazine, and thought it
sounded yummy.Being so keen on the
pastry recipe for short rib pot pie, I
thought I’d try it with the chicken.
Using the sea salt on top of the
dough makes it really delicious,
also simmering the chicken and
vegetables together for 15 minutes
and then using the broth to thicken
with the flour was way tastier than
my old method of cream of mushroom soup.
Leila was right!

Ingredients for the filling

1 lb boneless skinless organic chicken breast
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1/2 Spanish Onion
Package of frozen peas
1 tablespoon flour
1 can chicken broth
4 cups water
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Heavy cream (1 tablespoon)
Sea Salt crystals

Ingredients for the dough

2 cups flour
2/3 cup lard
1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup cold water

Directions

Make the dough first, place 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix the flour and salt together. Next add 2/3 cup lard and cut and slice the lard with two knives until the lard is broken up like large peas. Slowly trickle in 1/3 cup cold water and bring the flour together to form a rough ball. You can wrap the dough in saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

Next, cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes, place in a saucepan and cover with 1 can chicken broth and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and set the timer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile chop two carrots, two stalks celery and add to the chicken.
After 15 minutes, drain the broth through a colander into a bowl. Keep the broth and set the chicken, carrots and celery to one side. Put a tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same pot, chop half and onion and once the oil and butter have heated up, add the chopped onion. Saute until starting to brown, then add the chicken, carrots and celery. Stir for one or two minutes. Add 1 tablespoon flour and stir quickly, then with a ladle, slowly add the broth, stirring and then adding more broth. It will thicken, so you will use up most of the broth in the bowl. Add the peas and 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, and a shake of black pepper. Keep simmering for another 5 minutes.
Spray an 8 inch pie dish with Pam, add the chicken mixture.
Roll out the dough on a floured board and place over the pie dish. Crimp around the edges. With a knife, make a slit in the center and 4 more around the edge of the dough to allow steam to escape.
Next brush some heavy cream on the dough and sprinkle with sea salt crystals.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
Serve with salad.