Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients

• 1 savory pie dough
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 small celery rib, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out dough on parchment paper to 12-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Use ovenproof 12-ounce ramekin as guide to cut out two rounds of dough, about 1/2 inch larger than mouth of ramekin. Fold under and crimp outer 1/2 inch of dough, then cut 3 oval-shaped vents in center of each crust. Slide parchment paper with crusts onto rimmed baking sheet and bake until crusts just begin to brown and no longer look raw, 10 to 12 minutes for homemade pie dough or 7 minutes for store-bought dough; set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and soy sauce and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in broth and cream, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into sauce and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, return pan with sauce to medium heat and simmer until thickened and sauce measures 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, return shredded chicken, with any accumulated juice, to pan. Stir in peas, parsley, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide filling between ramekins and place parbaked crusts on top of filling. Place pot pies on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake until crusts are deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let pot pies cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pot Roast

• 1 (4-pound) beef chuck roast
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, in juice
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Heat large dutch oven, with lid, over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pot, lay the meat in the pan and sear on both sides until brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Pour all but about 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan.

3. Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pot. Add wine and tomatoes and cook until liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes more. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Return roast to pot, nestle it in liquid, cover, place in the oven, and cook until the roast is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid and continue to cook uncovered until tender, about 1 hour more.

4. Transfer the roast to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Skim the fat off the surface of the liquid and discard. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until thickened. Stir in the parsley and vinegar. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the roast warm in the sauce until ready to slice.

5. Slice pot roast across the grain and lay on a platter surrounded with vegetables. Pour some sauce on top and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

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