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Chicken Potpie

Makes 1 deep-dish potpie or 6 individual pies

SOUR CREAM CRUST

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 1/4 cup cold sour cream

FILLING

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock (divided use)
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 to 5 cups cooked, cubed vegetables (any mix of carrots, leeks, celery, potatoes, pearl onions, zucchini, corn, peas)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg, beaten

To make dough, sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, your fingers or two knives, combine the flour mixture with the pieces of butter until lima bean-size pieces form. Add the sour cream and stir with a large spoon for about 2 minutes, until clumps of smooth dough form. (You may have to work the dough with your hands, but do not overwork; you should still see pieces of butter.) Form the dough into a smooth ball, flatten it into a 6-inch disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

To make the filling, poach the chicken in 4 cups of simmering stock. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove from liquid and discard stock. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into cubes in similar size to the vegetables.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put remaining chicken stock in a pot to boil. When it has reduced by half, after about 15 minutes, remove from heat. Watch stock so it doesn't reduce too much; you need the full 2 cups.

Mix cooked vegetables with the chicken pieces. (Vegetables can be cooked any way you like.)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add flour, whisking over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reduced stock and heavy cream. Cook, whisking, until thickened, another 3 to 4 minutes. (It should coat the back of a spoon without slipping away.) Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over the chicken and vegetables.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to fit the shape of your baking dish. Brush some of the beaten egg on the edge of the baking dish, lay the pastry on top and crimp around the edges. Brush more egg on top. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

(Adapted from “ The Little Big Book of Comfort Food ” by Katrina Fried, Natasha Tabori Fried and Lena Tabori; and “ Pot Pies: Yumminess in a Dish ” by Elinor Klivans, Chronicle Books.)

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