Marsala Chicken Pot Pie

This is my first recipe on here-- Sorry it has taken me so long to get my act together! This one doesn't have pictures, but hopefully in the future I'll be a more responsible home cook and catalog my creations!

The following recipe is adapted from a Wolfgang Puck potpie recipe-- frankly, I think my recipe is better, sorry wolfie! Don't bother with exactness, just go for it! Use what you have- mine is always a bit different, but always delicious.

1.5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks (or smaller, or bigger, whatever! Also, you can do more or less, depending on what you have, or skip the chicken altogether! Wolf-man also adds 1/2 lb crab meat, but I don't do that business).

2 plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (always unsalted so YOU season it yourself!)

1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (WP uses red-skinned. I just usually have yukons so I go with that. i'd use something other than a baker potato, but smoke it if you've got it, if you know what I mean here people)

1/2 lb. pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 pieces

8 oz. pkg. mushrooms, quartered, or however you like to slice 'em! (I use white button or cremini mushrooms depending on what I have in the fridge. You could even use portobellos for a meatier feel).

1 med. onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

pinch of red pepper flakes (I like a bit o' spice, so I just shake some in til it is pretty, prob about a tsp)

1 sprig thyme (or a pinch of dry thyme if you don't have some in the garden or fridge- don't bother buying it at the store, not worth it)

1 dried bay leaf (now THIS is key- adds fantastic flavor!)

1 cup white wine (you're going to boil this off, but if you don't drink wine you can find an appropriate substitute, I'm sure! I tend to use cheapie stuff for cooking)

1 and 3/4 c. chicken stock (make your own, or grab some swanson's at the store- STOCK ideally, though broth works fine in a pinch)

1 C. heavy cream (if you're trying to be health conscious you can use 1/2 and 1/2, but beware! You are sacrificing taste and consistency-- You'll probably have to do more to thicken.)

1/4 C. Marsala wine (this lasts quite a while so you can bust it out whenever you're doing chicken marsala, or cooking up this baby. WP calls for sherry, but sherry is for sissies, and I prefer Marsala- gives it a REALLY lovely flavor, and thus, the superior recipe takes its grip! But sherry will do, if you must)

1/2 lb. Puff pastry (oh yeah! Buy it-- my belabored and beloved homemade version was less awesome than the store bought, I hate to say, and NOT cheaper since I used so much butter!)

1 egg (for your egg wash)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. flour and toss to coat. Place a large skillet over high heat, heat 2 Tbsp. (eyeball it) of olive oil til hot. Add chicken, saute until light golden brown and cooked through (about 10 mins). Transfer to plate, set aside. Add 2 Tbsp. butter to pot (still on high heat) and immediately add onions and carrots. Saute til they begin to be bright, 2-3mins. Add potatoes and mushrooms. Saute about another minute. Then reduce heat to medium, add your garlic, red pepper, bay leaf, and thyme sprig (or sprinkle). Saute til it gets nice and cozy with each other, about 3 minutes.

2. Add 1 C. wine. Turn up heat to High and stir to deglaze your pan. Simmer and reduce by 1/2, about 3-5 mins. Add chicken stock and 1 C. cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce just a bit. Simmer briskly til reduced by 1/2 again and it thickening, ~15 mins. *Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig* (if you sprinkled, obviously, you won't remove your thyme sprig)

3. Stir in your chicken and the marsala wine. Combine 2T. butter and 1 T. flour (your butter will need to be room temp so you can combine them-- this creates a roux that helps thicken your juices. If you don't feel like doing this, you can use cornstarch, but just keep in mind that butter makes all things better, even as a thickening agent!). Stir in the combined butter and flour. Season to taste (will probably need a bit of both S&P, but always taste first). If you are using crab, you'd stir in your crab now.

4. transfer to ramekins and refrigerate for at least an hour (this helps thicken. If you're impatient and don't mind runny pot pie, have at it right away). This recipe makes approximately enough for four 16 oz. ramekins, or one larger one. I often half the recipe for just me and Matthew and usually have leftovers which are surprisingly good.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bust out your puff pastry which you've been softening (you have, haven't you? If you plan ahead you can pop it in the fridge overnight and it'll be malleable but still cold and ready to puff!). You can roll out your pastry to fit your ramekin or dish size however you want. To seal the pastry to the pot, combine your egg with a Tbsp. of water, or cream, etc (whatever you have) and beat slightly. Brush on the egg mixture to the edge of your pot and then lay your puff pastry over-- you'll figure it out. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash to give it a nice golden color, and poke some holes in the pastry so your pot pies can release their steam! (note: I set my smaller ramekins on a sheet pan so I can just grab that from the oven rather than worry about lifting the ramekin and breaking the crust.)

Cook 25-35 minutes, and enjoy! It is all cooked inside, so this is basically combining flavors and puffing your pastry!

*note: I never measure any of this. I eyeball all of it, so keep in mind you don't need to be precise. Add other stuff (peas, pearl onions, corn, etc etc), take out what you don't like, and enjoy!