Celebrity Chef Brian Lewis — a Wilton Resident — Shares his Signature Fall Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Chef Brian Lewis is not only the chef and owner of three world-class restaurant concepts — Cottage in Westport and Greenwich; OKO in Westport and Rye, NY; and the pop-up restaurant Bana — but he’s also a Wilton resident. With temperatures turning colder, Lewis is bringing back his signature Chicken Pot Pie to the Cottage menu, and he’s sharing the recipe with GOOD Morning Wilton readers.

For Lewis, chicken pot pie is the quintessential comfort food. This dish embodies the warmth and flavors of the season, using the bounty of fall. It’s also a show-stopping hearty dish to prepare for Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations, as well as cozy nights in and family dinners.

Lewis has an easy-to-follow video demonstrating just how to make his dish, the first in a series called, “In the Kitchen with Chef Brian Lewis.”

Lewis’ chicken pot pie recipe showcases the robust flavors of roasted chicken, fresh glazed root vegetables, and a decadent amontillado sherry jus, and he said that each ingredient was carefully selected to highlight the best of the season.

He also recommends sourcing quality ingredients, including fresh herbs and chicken from a local butcher. Breaking down the elements, Lewis’ recipe features:

• Roasted Chicken: the star of the dish, the chicken is juicy and seasoned with fennel pollen and smoked paprika
• Glazed Root Vegetables: a colorful mix of carrots, cippolini onions, and fingerling potatoes, caramelized to enhance their natural sweetness
• Amontillado Sherry Jus: this sauce adds depth and richness, perfectly complementing the filling and creating an unforgettable dish
• Flaky Puff Pastry: the crowning touch offering a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender filling underneath

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 3.5-lb. chicken, giblets removed
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. fennel pollen
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh thyme

Method:

1. Preheat a non-convection oven to 500°F.
2. Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken and save for another use or discard.
3. Rinse the chicken in cold running water briefly and transfer to a tray with paper towels and pat the chicken dry.
4. Place the chicken on a cutting board and remove the wing bones at the second joint closest to the breast. Place the wing bones on a baking tray to later rest the chicken on during cooking.
5. Place a large bunch of fresh thyme in the cavity of the chicken and then truss the chicken as demonstrated in the video.
6. Season the chicken evenly with the salt, fennel pollen, smoked paprika and black pepper.
7. Be sure to leave the chicken at room temperature for up to one hour, but no longer, and then place in the 500°F oven for 20 minutes.
8. Immediately lower the temperature to 350°F and cook for another 20 minutes.
9. Turn the oven off and let the chicken rest in the oven for another 20 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 more minutes prior to carving the chicken.

Glazed Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 8 medium size carrots, peeled and sliced into half-inch thick wheels
• 6 stalks celery, from the inside stalks, peeled and sliced half-inch thick on a bias
• 15 cippolini onions, peeled
• 10 fingerling potatoes, cooked in salted water until tender, chilled, peeled and sliced into 1/2’ thick wheels
• 1/4 cup freshly picked thyme leaves
• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 8-12 ounces water, as needed
• 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt, to taste

Method:

1. In a medium heavy gauge saucepan, melt the butter with half of the water over medium heat until emulsified.
2. Add the cippolini onions and season with salt, cover and let simmer for 7-8 minutes. Then add the remaining vegetables and water, season with salt and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring gently and adding water as needed to keep the butter fat from separating.
3. Once the vegetables are tender with the tip of a knife, remove from the heat and add the fresh thyme leaves and sherry vinegar.
4. Adjust salt to taste and set aside until ready to assemble the pot pie.

Chicken Jus

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1 roasted chicken, after all meat has been removed, broken into small pieces
• 1 Spanish onion roughly chopped
• 2 ribs celery roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme

Method:

1. Heat the grapeseed oil in medium size saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the vegetable oil and add the vegetables, stirring over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until nicely browned.
3. Add the roasted chicken bones and the white wine. Cook off the wine for 2 minutes and then add the chicken stock and fresh thyme.
4. Simmer gently until the stock has reduced to half of its volume.
5. Strain through a fine strainer and return to a saucepan and keep warm.

Amontillado Sherry Jus

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken jus
• 1 cup amontillado sherry
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 2 ounces all-purpose flour (unbleached)

Method:

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
2. Whisk in the flower slowly until combined and cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until a rich nutty aroma and a light brown color develops. This is called a “roux,” which is a classic thickening agent used in making this sauce.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the amontillado sherry, slowly whisking until incorporated, cooking slowly over low heat.
4. Add the chicken stock gradually, allowing the sauce to thicken slowly in stages, cooking off the flour flavor and achieving a velvet like consistency. Once all the stock has been incorporated, season with salt and simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine strainer and set aside.

Puff Pastry & Egg Wash

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 whole egg
• 2 Tbsp. whole milk

Method:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole egg and milk.
2. Lay the sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and cut one circle per serving of the puff pastry. The circle should be one inch greater in diameter than the casserole you will be serving the Pot Pie in.
3. Using a half-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut one circle in the center, this will allow the steam to release while cooking.

Pot Pie Assembly and Cooking

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F (non-convection).
2. In a medium size saucepan, combine the roasted chicken pieces, glazed root vegetables and 4 cups of the amontillado sherry jus.
3. Warm and combine all the ingredients gently, tasting and adjusting the salt and sherry vinegar to taste if necessary.
4. Place the Pot Pie filling in the casserole until full, but not above the edge of the casserole.
5. Gently place the puff pastry circle over the top and press the sides into the edge of the top of the casserole using your fingertips.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and the filling is warm when you test with the point of a knife.
7. Serve immediately accompanied by a side of the amontillado sherry jus, poured inside the center tableside.