The recipe came from a December, 2008 issue of Bon Appetit, in an article about the foods from the Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec. I’m sure that’s why I stopped to read this recipe, because it came from that hotel – le Chateau Frontenac.
I remember, oh so well, the first time I saw 
that beautiful hotel, standing right above the river, the St. Lawrence. I was about 15 and my parents and I were on a long weekend trip from where we lived for a couple of years in Newport, Rhode Island. We didn’t stay in the hotel in Quebec– oh my goodness, no – way beyond our budget, but we were properly impressed with the place. (Back then it wasn’t owned by the Fairmont.) I never forgot seeing the hotel. I wrote a story for my English class some time after that, with a little history of Quebec and the hotel. That I remember too, plus the slight markdown I got on my report because I failed to put the le in front of the Frontenac. I remember that, and other humiliating things like losing a spelling bee in 7th grade because I didn’t know how to spell chrysanthemum. You can bet your bottom dollar I never forgot how to spell it after that!
Sorry, I got sidetracked there. Anyway, this very French-style meat pie just sounded interesting, with an Italian twist perhaps, using Italian sausage instead of deer meat or elk or whatever would be appropriate for a wintertime meat pie. But mostly it’s chicken thigh meat, mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in a nicely thickened flavorsome brown gravy with some Madeira wine in it. I do think the Madeira makes this dish – it adds a background character to the sauce that you just can’t quite identify. Browning the mushrooms and shallots also provides a real flavor depth too. Not just cooking them, but browning them.
This made a very impressive company dinner – it’s way too much work to make for a weeknight family meal. It will serve more people than the original recipe suggested ( I think 8, rather than 6) too. It was delicious. Next time I think I’d just use puff pastry on top – a whole lot easier. I didn’t care for the pastry crust – maybe it was too thick for my taste. Am not sure, but it wasn’t as light and flaky as I would have hoped. But even with that, the entire dish was special. Deeply flavorful – kind of like a chicken & sausage stew – really that’s all it is – but with a pastry top crust. And definitely don’t eliminate the Madeira – it’s essential!
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Chicken, Sausage, And Mushroom Pot Pie
Recipe By: Adapted slightly from Adam Leith Gollner,
Bon Appetit, 12/08
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: Whatever you do, don’t eliminate the Madeira as it provides a wonderful deep flavor. And do cook the shallots and mushrooms until they brown – that browning part will add lots of additional flavor. If I made this again I’d use a sheet of puff pastry for the top, rather than the pastry crust called for here. Much easier and probably more tasty. I made it in a slightly larger, oval shaped casserole dish, and no question, it will feed more than 6 (what the original recipe indicated).
Serving Ideas: You could also make these in individual ramekins or onion soup bowls and top with rounds of puff pastry. Adjust baking time (less).
CRUST: (or better yet, use a sheet of puff pastry)
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter — chilled, (1 1/4 sticks) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons ice water — (or more)
FILLING:
4 tablespoons butter — (1/2 stick) room temperature, divided
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces mushrooms — crimini, sliced
1 cup shallots — about 5, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/4 pounds Italian sausage — (about 6), casings removed
2 pounds chicken thighs, no skin, R-T-C — trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup Madeira
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup fresh Italian parsley — chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs — peeled, thickly sliced
1 large egg yolk — beaten to blend with 1 tablespoon water (for glaze)
CRUST:
1. Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add 4 tablespoons water. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Allow to rest at room temp for at least an hour before trying to roll it out. And thinner is better than thicker.
FILLING:
2. Mix 2 tablespoons butter and flour in bowl to smooth paste; set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in large deep skillet. Add mushrooms, shallots, and thyme. Sauté until mushrooms brown, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
3. Add sausage to pan; sauté until no longer pink, breaking up with spoon, about 7 minutes. Add that to the mushroom mixture and set aside. Add chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink on outside, about 5 minutes. Pour mushrooms and sausage back into the pan and add Madeira; boil 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Mix in butter-flour paste; simmer until sauce thickens, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Mix in parsley. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. The sauce may seem thin at this point – it thickens as it bakes.
4. Transfer mixture to 10-cup round baking dish that will accommodate the filling and the pastry crust. If it’s too low the filling will bubble over the edges as it bakes; top with egg slices.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13- to 14-inch round. Place atop filling. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang under; crimp edge. Brush crust with glaze; cut several slits in crust.
6. Bake pie until crust is golden, about 45 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes and serve.
Per Serving: 720 Calories; 53g Fat (66.1% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 241mg Cholesterol; 848mg Sodium.
A year ago: Roasted Stone Fruit Olive Oil Madeleines
Two years ago: Marinated, Grilled Provolone
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