MY DAUGHTER SOPHIE’S WISH IS MY COMMAND, SO WHEN SHE ASKED FOR CHICKEN POT PIE, WHAT COULD I DO? I SCOURED SEVERAL COOKBOOKS, BOTH HARDCOVER AND ONLINE, COMBINING MY FAVORITES TO PRODUCE MY OWN VERSION WHICH WAS NOT ONLY OOZINGLY RICH BUT BRIGHT WITH PERFECTLY-COOKED VEGETABLES, FLECKED WITH THE CRUNCH OF CHICKEN SKIN, TOPPED WITH A TENDER AND BUTTERY LID OF PASTRY.
TWO DETAILS MAKE THIS DISH PARTICULARLY GOOD: POACHING THE CHICKEN IN HOME-MADE STOCK (SEE “BASICS”) AND BOILING EACH VEGETABLE SEPARATELY TO ENSURE NONE IS OVERCOOKED. DEPENDING ON THE SEASON, YOU CAN ADD WHATEVER VEGETABLES YOU LIKE — SPRING ONIONS, NEW POTATOES, PARSNIPS, SALSIFY, ETC. AND IF YOU FIND WILD MUSHROOMS IN THE MARKET, A HANDFUL OF MORELS OR CHANTERELLES COULDN’T HURT, COULD IT?
