Gary and Jane LangtonMain CoursePoultryProvencal RecipesTaste

A Recipe Variation for Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is the perfect recipe for using all the wonderful fall and winter vegetables that are in our markets at the moment. Moreover it’s really easy to make, has a great flavor and is the perfect way to use up left-over chicken.

Chicken Pot Pie

Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie

Think simple. Think quick. All the taste and comfort of a traditional chicken pot pie style casserole with much less time and effort.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Lunch Dish, Main Dish
Cuisine French, Provencal
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 250 gr Cooked chicken chopped into large cubes
  • 50 gr Lardons or Ham cut into chunky cubes
  • 1 large leek finely sliced
  • 200 gr puff pastry
  • 50 mls Dry Sherry
  • 200 gr butternut squash peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 200 gr Parsnips peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 100 mls crème fraîche
  • 200 mls chicken stock
  • Plain Flour for rolling out the pastry
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp of water
  • 1 handful thyme leaves
  • salt and pepper to season

Instructions
 

  • Fry the lardons (or chopped ham) in a dry frying pan for 3 minutes until lightly golden, drain onto a plate and set aside.
  • In a sauté pan, add the olive oil and gently sauté the leeks, parsnips and butternut squash with the thyme leaves and salt & pepper until soft (8 minutes), being careful not to burn them (as this will affect the flavour).
  • Pour in the sherry and let it bubble for 5 minutes until well reduced.
  • Add the lardons (or chopped ham) and pour over the chicken stock.
  • Return to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.
  • Stir in the crème fraiche and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced down to nice, thick, creamy consistency.
  • Set aside.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
  • Roll out the puff pastry to 3mm thick on a floured surface.
  • Cut out 2 rounds using a small saucer as a template (about 12cm diameter) and then 2 slightly smaller ones.
  • Place the pastry circles on a non-stick baking tray, with a small one on top of a large one and score a pattern (of your own design) on the top of each with a knife.
  • Brush the top of the pastry circles with the egg and water mixture and bake in the centre of the oven for 10 mins or until well-risen and golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and slightly cool the pastry circles on a wire rack.
  • Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and re-heat until the chicken is properly heated through.
  • Check the seasoning and then divide the mixture between 2 warm plates, topping each one with a pastry circle.
  • Serve the pie with green beans, broccoli or peas and a large glass of white wine.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
.

Please share this with friends and family.

All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication Information
Affiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous post

The Legend of Roussillon – a tale of illicit love and a tragic end! 

Next post

The Jardins d’Albertas of Bouc-Bel-Air and Casanova's Visit in Provence

Gary and Jane Langton

When Jane was younger she wanted to be a show-jumper and, although she had some success, Jane knew she could never afford a horse that could take her to the top. Similarly, Jane enjoyed cooking and would have loved to be a chef, but she always knew that the unsocial hours would never fit with raising her family. So she stepped into the world of property construction and interior design, where she enjoyed a successful and fun filled career.

Gary went to a nautical school and always dreamed of going to sea, captaining his own ship. Although he managed to be selected for officer training in the Royal Navy at an early age, by the time he was 18 he no longer had 20:20 vision and his chosen field in the RN was no longer open to him. For a short period Gary studied quantity surveying before finally choosing a career in banking, during which time he lived for a period in New York before returning to London and ultimately running a global business team (involving much travel).

Jane and Gary met, via the internet, in February 2005 and their relationship took off. By 2007 they were married and, in early 2009, they both decided that enough was enough - the constant travelling with their jobs, rushed weekends together and too much politics in their business lives finally taking its toll.

So they decided on a total change of life. Jane had always dreamed of running a boutique hotel or upmarket B&B and pushed this idea which was accepted by Gary as he couldn’t come up with an alternative plan. The couple finally decided on France (proximity to their children in the UK and good weather) and spent about 18 months viewing 100+ properties in the South of France, from Provence to almost Spain and back, before finally settling (in December 2010) on an old stone house (and former silk farm) in La Bruguiere, a small village about 10 minutes from Uzes, France’s first Duchy and a beautiful little town.

The house renovation took 17 months and they first opened for business in summer 2012. As they end their sixth year in France the couple have no regrets and remain positive about their future.

Jane has finally managed to fulfil one of her childhood dreams of cooking professionally for others and continues to ride her horse. Gary works front of house at Mas d'Augustine their chambres d’hôte and (when asked) offers business advice to friends/associates in their location, whilst amusing himself by playing (bass) in a local French group. The couple recently started an additional business to project manage renovation works/remodelling (and, if requested, provide interior design) of holiday homes for absentee owners.

Life is too short to stand still and wait for it – Jane and Gary are firm believers that life is for the taking. Enjoy Jane's recipes here or spend a couple of nights to savour her cooking first hand.

No Comment

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.