Homemade pie crust:

 15 min prep, 30 min refrigeration

1. Make sure your butter is VERY cold and has been stored in the refrigerator – you do NOT want it room temperature. Remove 2 stick of butter from the refrigerator, slice the butter into cubes, place in a small bowl, then place in the freezer for a few minutes while you follow the next two steps.
2. Put about 1 cup of water into a small bowl and add ice.
3. Set up a food processor, Then add the flour (340g), coconut sugar (21g), and salt (2g) and pulse until well combined.
4. Add the cold butter and pulse until it is beaded – about 30 pulses. (You want to pulse, not blend!).
5. Add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and 6 Tablespoons of the ice cold water. Pulse until combined and it forms a moist but crumbly dough, about 20 pulses. Test it by pinching some of it between your fingers. It should easily stick together. If it’s too dry, add 1/2 Tbsp of ice cold water at a time until it sticks. (you do NOT want it sticking to your fingers, just to itself – if it sticks to your fingers then it’s too sticky, add a bit of flour if this is the case).
6. Working fairly quickly to keep the dough cold: Flour a clean surface, dump the dough onto it, mold it together, then separate into two portions. Gently roll each portion out, one about 12-13″ in diameter and one about 9-10″ in diameter. Put parchment paper onto a large plate or cookie sheet, place one of the crusts onto it, then layer another parchment paper, and place the second crust on top (to prevent sticking together). Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

30 minutes

1. Poach the chicken: Place chicken, 3 cups of broth, 1 bay leaf, a few sprigs of thyme, and 1/2 tsp (4g) salt in a pot (just big enough to have the chicken cover the bottom and not be stacked). The broth should completely cover the chicken; if it doesn’t, then add enough water to cover it by about 1-inch.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (don’t let it boil). Then cook 12–15 minutes, until chicken reaches 165°F internally.
3. Remove chicken to a plate; let cool, then shred or dice. Strain the broth, saving 2 cups for the filling.
4. While waiting for the chicken to cook and cool, make the filling:
5. Dice 1/2 yellow onion, 2 large carrots, and 2 medium celery stalks.
6. Bring a large skillet to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp (14g) butter and the diced onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic and cook a few minutes.
7. Then add another 2 Tbsp (28g) of butter and sprinkle 1/3 rounded cup flour (50g) over the vegetables; combine with a silicone spatula and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
8. Gradually whisk in the 2 cups of the reserved poaching broth, then gradually whisk in 1 cup of milk.
9. Bring to a simmer, then simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. 
10. Start preheating the oven to 400°F (200°C).
11. Once thickened, stir in the shredded chicken, 3/4 cup frozen peas, 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and some black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning to liking. Remove from heat and follow the next steps.

Assemble & bake

10 min prep, 35 min cook, 15 min rest after cooking

1. Form the bottom crust (12″ in diameter) into the 9-inch pie dish.
2. Spoon in the filling.
3. Top with second crust, crimp edges, and cut small slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
4. Brush with some of the beaten egg. I just do the top, avoiding the edges of the crust to prevent over-browning.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden. If edges brown too quickly, cover with a pie shield or foil.
6. Let rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving. The gravy thickens as it cools.

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Notes

• Feel free to use pre-cooked chicken, like any leftover chicken you have, or rotisserie chicken, etc. You would use about 12-14 oz of cooked chicken in place of the uncooked chicken.
• Add or substitute any other veggies you want such as sweet potato instead of carrots or leeks instead of onion, or adding other options such as fennel, bell pepper, etc.
• Make the gravy richer by using half and half instead of milk.
• Use shredded turkey instead of chicken.
• Omit the bottom crust and opt for just the top crust for a lighter chicken pot pie.