Homemade pie crust:

 15 min prep, 30 min refrigeration

1. Cut 2 cold, refrigerated sticks of butter into small cubes, place into 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 (4g) and pulse a few times to combine.
4. Add the cold butter and pulse until it is beaded – about 15 pulses. (You want to pulse, not blend).
5. Add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and 6 Tablespoons of the ice cold water. Pulse 15-20 times until it forms a moist, beaded dough. Test it by squeezing some between your fingers – it should be moist enough to stick to itself but not to your fingers. If it’s too dry, add water 1/2 Tbsp at a time (pulse just a few times); if it’s too wet, add flour 1/2 Tbsp at a time (pulse just a few times).
6. Working fairly quickly to keep the dough cold: Flour a clean surface, dump the dough onto it, mold it into a ball, then separate into two portions. Gently roll each portion out, one about 12″ 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. Dice up 1/2 yellow onion, 2 large carrots, and 2 medium celery stalks.
2. Put 1 Tbsp of oil into a large pan. Add the diced veggies and begin preheating to medium-high heat.
3. Dice up the chicken into very small 1/2″ pieces and incorporate into the veggies. Season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
4. Move everything to the edges of the pan as much as you can and add the 3 Tbsp (42g) of butter and 4 minced garlic cloves into the center. Add the 1/3 rounded cup of flour (50g) and mix together with the butter. Re-incorporate everything in the pan.
5. Pour in the milk (1 cup) and the broth (2 cups) and stir everything together. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and some black pepper. Bring to a simmer then turn the heat to low and let it simmer lightly for 10-15 minutes until thickened, stirring every few minutes.
6. Start preheating the oven to 400°F (200°C).
7. Once thickened, stir in 1/2 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 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 substituting half the milk for heavy cream (or substitute all the milk for half-and-half)
• Use shredded turkey instead of chicken.
• Omit the bottom crust and opt for just the top crust for a lighter chicken pot pie.