Chicken Thigh Potpie

Name: Chicken Thigh Potpie
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 large rutabaga, peeled and diced; 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup pearl onions; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 3/4 cup oyster mushrooms, torn into pieces; 1 cup chopped kale (about 5 large leaves); 4 large boneless skin-on chicken thighs; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 sprig fresh thyme; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife; 2 cups warm chicken stock; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup fine-ground cornmeal; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced; 6 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

Chicken potpie is a dish many of us crave when we want to conjure up the warmth of home and hearth, and chef Ashley Christensen, owner of Poole's Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina, is no different. "This potpie is inspired by my mother's kind of cooking: dishes that shout out the classics, but with clean flavors and crisp textures," she says. Christensen grounds the pie in colder-month offerings of sweet potatoes and rutabagas and tender leaves of kale instead of the usual carrot and celery combo. Adding another bit of Southern flair, the chef uses a small amount of cornmeal in the crust, which provides a nutty, toasty flavor with an echo of sweetness to match the filling. "Though some potpies are encased in crust, I like the "island" approach, letting the gravy bubble up around the pillow of crust," Christensen says. "Crust is potpie's defining moment, no matter how delicious the filling."

Updated at: Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:01:34 GMT