French Bistro Chicken Pot Pie

I love bistro French cooking.  I'm reminded of aged french farmhouses with the wind gently ruffling fields of lavender on a warm summer day.  The draw of french cooking to me has always been the style of Provence or elegantly simple bistro cooking.  That's the taste that I wanted to capture with my French Bistro chicken Pot Pie.  Elegant but with simple ingredients that speak to my love of casual french cooking.  Serve with a salad of interesting fresh greens dressed, petite tomatoes and blue cheese dressed with a french vinaigrette and a glass of crisp Chablis, simply delicious!  A meal that transports me to the french country side.

French Bistro Chicken Pot Pie pour deux

2 whole boneless chicken breast

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chopped leeks, white only

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoon herbs de provence
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated pepper

1 cup sliced baby carrots

1 cup haricot verts, cut into 2 inch pieces

Crust:
1/2 package puff pastry, 1 sheet
1 egg, beaten


Preheat oven to 350F

Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil.  Generously sprinkle breast with salt and pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.  Set aside to cool.  Cut chicken to 1 inch diced cubed when cool enough to handle.

In a small saucepan heat chicken stock just to boiling. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute leeks and shallots over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until translucent.  Do not brown.  Add the flour and cook over low heat stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.  Add hot chicken  stock to the sauce.  Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick.  Add wine bring to just to boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Add cream, herbs, salt, and pepper. Add carrots and haricot verts. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 425F

Place a 1 1/2 cup ovenproof dish on pastry on a floured surface.  Cut circle from pastry. 1/2 inch larger than dish; cut vents. Refrigerate on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Divide chicken mixture between dishes.  top with pastry, press edges to seal, and brush with egg.  Bake on a baking sheet until golden, 25-30 minutes.