Chicken & Poultry

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This comes together fast, but people who made it found a couple of things that make a big difference. People who pounded the chicken found it cooked more evenly and stayed tender, and those who tried pounding through a ziplock bag usually regretted it, a sturdier approach worked better. People who grated their cheese fresh said the sauce was creamier and had more flavor than when pre-grated or knockoff Parmesan was used. If you want to push the flavor, some cooks blackened the chicken Cajun-style or added a few drops of habanero oil or extra cayenne, and most people prefer only a light sprinkle of fresh parsley at the end.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Chicken breast, pounded to even thickness
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• Avocado oil
• Fettuccine
• Unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• Shallots, very finely minced (or onion, omit)
• Garlic, finely minced
• Chili flakes (or omit)
• Cream
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (or domestic/American Parmesan (use at your own risk))
• Lemon
• Chicken pan drippings
• Water
• Pasta cooking water

book_ribbon Instructions

Prep

1. Place each chicken breast between parchment paper and pound the thick end to an even thickness, flipping as needed, until flat-ish (about a minute or two).
2. Season both sides of the pounded chicken with kosher salt and black pepper.

Cook chicken

1. Set a pan over medium-high heat and heat for at least 2 to 3 minutes before adding oil.
2. Add a little avocado oil; when it is shimmering and smoking, lay the chicken into the pan away from yourself.
3. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes per side, then remove and let rest; reserve the pan and drippings.

Cook pasta

1. Bring a shallow pan of water to a boil with a couple pinches of salt and add the fettuccine, breaking as needed to fit.
2. Cook the pasta for exactly 10 minutes (about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions) so it is just underdone, then remove with tongs, reserving some pasta cooking water.

Make Alfredo sauce

1. Start a pot over medium heat and add a generous amount of unsalted butter; once melted, add very finely minced shallots (or onion) and finely minced garlic.
2. Cook the shallots and garlic over medium for about 4 to 5 minutes without coloring to sweat and unlock flavor; add a little pinch of salt.
3. Add chili flakes and toast in the butter for about 15 to 20 seconds, then stop the cooking by pouring in the cream.
4. Bring the cream back to a light simmer over medium, then add finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano in about four stages, whisking after each addition until smooth and thickened.
5. Finish the sauce with a whole bunch of black pepper and taste for seasoning.

Build pan sauce

1. In the chicken pan with the fond, add literally less than a quarter cup of water and scrape the fond with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
2. Add the resting chicken drippings to the pan and reduce until concentrated, then turn the heat down and whisk in a few little cubes of cold unsalted butter.
3. Finish the pan sauce with a squeeze of lemon, a touch more black pepper, taste for seasoning, then set the pan sauce aside.

Finish pasta and serve

1. Return the pasta to medium heat and finish it in the Alfredo sauce for about 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta.
2. If the sauce becomes too thick or begins to cling, add a little reserved pasta cooking water a bit at a time to loosen it and restore a velvety coating.
3. Plate the pasta, serve with the seared chicken (either sliced and placed on top or tossed in), and spoon the pan sauce over the chicken and pasta. Finish with additional cheese if desired.

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together as a cozy, hands-on dinner, but people who made this learned a couple things the hard way. The biggest snag was the hot pan handle, a lot of cooks grabbed it by accident. People who draped a towel or used an oven glove over the handle avoided burns, though several warned not to leave a towel sitting on a hot handle. Also, a common tweak was to reduce the filling; some people preferred a slightly smaller amount and treated that as an easy variation to try.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Butter
• Onion, diced
• Salt, to taste
• Chicken thigh, 1–1.5 inch pieces
• All-purpose flour
• Chicken broth (or homemade chicken broth, chicken base dissolved in water)
• Chicken base, to taste
• 2 tsp water
• Carrot, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
• Celery, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
• Frozen peas, thawed and drained
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, fresh leaves (or dried thyme (a pinch, added at the beginning with the broth))
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Cayenne pepper
• 1 recipe buttercrust pastry dough, rolled into circle
• 1 egg, beaten

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add diced onion and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for a couple minutes until the edges begin to brown and the pieces soften and turn translucent.
3. Add the chicken thigh pieces (about 1 to 1.5 inches) and stir into the onion-butter; cook, stirring, for a couple minutes until the chicken mostly loses its pink raw appearance.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for a couple minutes to remove the raw flour taste and form a roux; do not be alarmed if the mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan.
5. Pour in the chicken broth (or chicken base dissolved in water) and bring up to a simmer while stirring, still over medium-high heat.
6. Add the carrots and celery cut into about 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.
7. Reduce the simmer, stirring, for about 5 to 10 minutes until the filling really thickens (or reduce less—only a couple minutes—if you prefer a looser, saucier filling).
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the thawed, drained frozen peas and about a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves.
9. Stir in freshly ground black pepper and a little touch of cayenne, then use a spoon to distribute the filling evenly and taste for salt; adjust seasoning as needed and set the filling aside.
10. Roll out exactly one recipe of buttercrust pastry dough into a circle about an inch or two larger than the pan.
11. Trim the edge with a knife or pizza cutter to make it more uniform, then fold over about a half inch of dough around the perimeter.
12. Crimp the folded edge by pushing one finger from one side into two fingers on the other to create a scalloped edge.
13. Place the frying pan on a sheet pan to catch any bubbling overflow.
14. Optionally punch or cut a small hole in the center of the dough to vent steam.
15. Carefully place the dough over the filling, center it, and press lightly so the dough touches the filling everywhere.
16. Optionally brush the top of the dough with an egg wash (the egg beaten with a couple teaspoons of water).
17. Transfer the pan to the upper center of a 425 degree oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling.
18. Remove the pan from the oven, place a towel over the handle, and let the pie rest for about five minutes before cutting and serving.

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People who made this found three simple things made the biggest difference. First, cut a few slits in the top crust, if you don’t vent it, the pie can build up steam and even burst in the oven. Second, cook the chicken ahead of time; people who did that said assembly went faster and they weren’t fighting last-minute timing. Third, the filling can come out on the salty side, so a lot of cooks cut the salt by about half and liked the result. Those three small steps kept the bake predictable and made the finished pie more enjoyable.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Filling

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on; roasted and cubed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cup chicken stock, hot
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cup carrots, medium-diced, blanched for 2 minutes
• 2 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cup frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
• Flaked sea salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper

Pastry and finishing

• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, diced
• 1/2-2/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
• 1 tbsp water

book_ribbon Instructions

Roast chicken and prepare meat

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub with 3 tablespoons olive oil; sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Roast the chicken breasts for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through; set aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin; cut the meat into large dice to yield about 5 cups of cubed chicken.

Make the filling

1. In a small saucepan, heat 5 cups chicken stock and dissolve 2 chicken bouillon cubes in the stock; keep hot.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter and sauté 2 cups chopped yellow onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent.
3. Add 3/4 cup all-purpose flour to the onions and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
4. Slowly add the hot chicken stock to the roux, stirring, and simmer over low heat for 1 minute, until thickened.
5. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 cup heavy cream to the sauce and stir to combine.
6. Add the cubed chicken, 2 cups medium-diced blanched carrots, 2 cups frozen peas, 1.5 cups frozen small whole onions, and 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley; mix well and remove from heat.

Make the pastry

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
2. Add 1/2 cup vegetable shortening and 1/4 pound cold diced unsalted butter; mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour.
3. Pulse about 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas.
4. With the motor running, add 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water only until the dough is moistened and just comes together.
5. Dump the dough onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Assemble and bake

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof ramekins.
3. Divide the chilled dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle on a floured board.
4. Brush the outside edges of each ramekin with the egg wash (1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water), then place a dough circle on top; trim the circle to be about 1/2 inch larger than the rim of the ramekin.
5. Fold and press the dough to the rim to make it stick; brush the top of each crust with egg wash and cut three slits in the top.
6. Sprinkle the tops with flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper.
7. Place the filled ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour, or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe nails the flavor, but a few practical things kept tripping people up. People who brought the chicken to room temperature before cooking usually regretted it, so most stuck with the pieces straight from the fridge. Seasoning the flour matters, a lot of cooks who skimped found the coating bland, while those who seasoned it well got much better flavor (just don’t dump an extra mountain of salt into the flour). Finally, the cooks who limited flipping to a single turn during frying tended to keep the crust crispier than the ones who fiddled with the pieces.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1/2-1 cup Flour
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• The Level Up A Seasoning, to taste
• 8-10 piece Chicken, bone-in
• 1-2 cup Buttermilk
• Oil for frying
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Tabasco hot sauce

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Trim and prepare the chicken pieces as desired.
2. In a bowl combine buttermilk, Tabasco hot sauce, and The Level Up A seasoning; mix to make the marinade.
3. Add the chicken to the marinade, ensure all pieces are submerged, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (preferably 4 hours or overnight).
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet to come up to room temperature, letting excess buttermilk drip off.
5. In a separate bowl mix the flour (1/2–1 cup), cornstarch (1/4 cup), additional The Level Up A seasoning, freshly ground black pepper, and a couple pinches of salt until combined.
6. Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, shake off excess buttermilk, then press and squeeze the chicken into the flour mixture so it is well coated; set coated pieces aside to rest for about 10 minutes.
7. Heat oil in a frying pan (or deep fryer) to 375 F; use a splash guard and a meat thermometer to monitor temperature.
8. Gently place coated chicken in the hot oil (do not fully submerge). Fry starting at 375 F, flipping each piece only once; avoid flipping back to prevent soggy skin. Cook until the exterior is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
9. Drain the fried chicken and serve.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half into thin fillets
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and shredded
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (or panko breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or Italian breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4-1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 2 cup low-moisture shredded mozzarella (or provolone, any melty cheese)
• 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 lb (454g) pasta

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grate 1 cup (56 g) Parmesan cheese and set aside.
3. Chop about 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley and set aside for finishing.
4. Trim 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut each down the middle so you have 6 thin fillets; pound under parchment if needed to even thickness.
5. Set up a dredging station with three shallow bowls: in the first bowl crack 2 eggs and season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper, then whisk to combine.
6. In the second bowl combine 1/3 cup (40 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; stir to distribute.
7. In the third bowl combine 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 cup (120 g) panko breadcrumbs, and the chopped parsley; optionally add red pepper flakes for heat.
8. Measure 1 cup olive oil and have it ready beside the stove.
9. Dredge each chicken fillet: coat with the flour mixture and shake off excess, dip into the beaten eggs and allow excess to drip off, then press into the breadcrumb-Parmesan mixture to fully coat; repeat for all fillets.
10. Heat the measured olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
11. Working in batches (2–3 pieces depending on pan size), fry the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown, adjusting the heat as needed so the oil maintains temperature.
12. Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb excess oil and continue frying remaining pieces.
13. Arrange all cooked chicken pieces on a baking sheet, spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup marinara sauce toward the center of each piece, then divide 2 cups shredded mozzarella among the pieces so each has a generous pile of cheese.
14. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan over each piece of chicken.
15. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the chicken is cooked through.
16. While the chicken bakes, cook 1 pound pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.
17. Top the baked chicken with the chopped parsley and serve with the cooked pasta.

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe mostly comes down to oil temperature and not overheating the pan. People who didn’t check the heat often ended up with burned crust; testing the oil by flicking a little water into it helped folks know when to start, and turning the burner down as the pieces cooked prevented burning. If you want more seasoning, some people let the chicken sit overnight or briefly brined it in pickle juice, both are optional. Also watch how much seasoning you put in the flour; a number of cooks used about 0.5 tablespoon of salt to avoid an overly salty coating.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 cup Flour
• 1/4 cup Creole Kick
• 1 tbsp Onion powder
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp Black pepper, freshly ground
• 6-8 Chicken pieces, washed and patted dry
• 1 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Dill pickle juice
• Water
• Vegetable oil

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place the chicken pieces in a resealable bag and add buttermilk, dill pickle juice, and a little water; seal the bag and mix so the chicken is coated.
2. Refrigerate to marinate about two hours (you can marinate 30 minutes; up to overnight).
3. Whisk the flour, Creole Kick, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper together in a bowl; taste the seasoned flour and add a couple of pinches of kosher salt if needed.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350–360°F or is shimmering with a few ripples (use a meat thermometer or visual cue).
5. Remove a piece of chicken from the bag and let it drip dry slightly, then dredge it in the seasoned flour, squeeze/massage the coating to adhere, tap off excess on a baking sheet, and let it rest; repeat for remaining pieces.
6. Fry the chicken in batches by placing pieces away from you into the hot oil; cook until the bottom side is golden, flip, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
7. Remove the fried chicken and let it rest until it is not too hot before serving.

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who made this found skipping heavy cream and relying on just butter and Parmigiano gives the creamiest, most reliable sauce. What trips people up is the cheese: adding it while the pan is still hot often makes the sauce break. People who took the pan off the heat, stirred the butter and cheese together, then loosened the mixture with a little starchy pasta water, added a splash at a time, had the best results, adding the water too early caused trouble. If you want a small variation, some cooks liked a tiny pinch of nutmeg, but it's totally optional.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Fettuccine, dried (or fresh fettuccine)
• 2 stick butter
• Heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
• Garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, fresh cracked
• Basil leaves, fresh leaves
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Grilled chicken, leftover
• Shrimp, sautéed

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Grate the Parmesan cheese.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it heavily ("like the ocean"), and start cooking the dried fettuccine; break the fettuccine if desired.
3. Before draining the pasta, remove and reserve about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
4. While the pasta cooks, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan, then add 2 sticks of butter and stir constantly until the butter melts into the cream.
5. Bring the cream-and-butter mixture up to a simmer and cook until it reduces slightly, thickens a little, and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Add a pinch of garlic powder to the cream mixture (or use fresh garlic steeped in the cream and removed before tossing, as an alternative).
7. Once the sauce has slightly thickened, stir in about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and about 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano; allow the cheese to melt and further thicken the sauce.
8. Add just a pinch of salt, reserving pepper for the top.
9. Add the drained fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat; if the sauce becomes too thick or was made ahead, loosen it with some reserved hot pasta water as needed.
10. Plate the pasta and top with additional grated Parmesan, fresh cracked black pepper, and a few basil leaves.
11. Optionally, while the pasta and sauce are hot, toss in leftover grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp with a little reserved pasta water to combine and heat through.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

We couldn't confidently pull the full ingredient list and instructions from this video yet — watch it above for the complete recipe.

crowdsource Community Insights

This one trips people up in a couple of predictable ways. People who cooked at 180°C ran into trouble, so avoid that oven setting. Also, a lot of cooks swapped out corn, canola, or other seed/vegetable oils for beef tallow or lard and preferred the results, the ones using seed oils tended to be less happy. If you want juicier chicken, some people brined overnight before coating and frying; it’s optional, but those who did were glad they did. These are the three changes most people made that helped the dish turn out better.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Chicken
• 12 gram per pound of chicken salt
• 1/4 cup per pound of chicken all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup per pound of chicken potato starch (or cornstarch)
• 1/2 cup per pound of chicken buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon per pound of chicken baking powder
• 1 teaspoon per pound of chicken smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon per pound of chicken black pepper
• 1 teaspoon per pound of chicken garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon per pound of chicken onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon per pound of chicken cayenne pepper
• Oregano
• Monosodium glutamate, to taste
• Vegetable oil (or canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil)

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Salt the chicken in advance, preferably at least 24 hours, and refrigerate (no amount for the advance salting was specified).
2. While salting, mix salt with spices if desired (the creator mentions salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and oregano as the salting/spice mixture).
3. Toss the chicken in a first coating of plain all-purpose flour (use 0.25 cup of flour per pound of chicken) and set the coated chicken aside to rest; aim for about an hour if possible (any amount of rest is better than none).
4. Make the exterior dredge in a second bowl: combine 0.75 cup all-purpose flour per pound of chicken with 1/3 cup potato starch per pound of chicken, add about 12 gram salt per pound of chicken to the dredge, optionally add MSG, and add baking powder at 2 teaspoons per pound of chicken; also add spices to this dredge (about 1 teaspoon per pound of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon per pound black pepper, 1 teaspoon per pound garlic powder, 1 teaspoon per pound onion powder, and optional 0.5 teaspoon per pound cayenne).
5. Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl at 0.5 cup per pound of chicken to be your wet dredge.
6. Add about 3–4 tablespoons per pound of the flour/starch dredge mixture into the buttermilk and whisk until slightly thinner than pancake batter; wait until the baking powder activates and bubbles form in the liquid.
7. Take a small amount of that bubbly buttermilk mixture and stir it back into the flour/starch dredge to form clumps; these clumps will fry into extra-craggy bits.
8. Breading order: start with the chicken already coated in the first flour layer, dip each piece into the buttermilk batter, then dredge in the seasoned flour/starch mixture to form the exterior breading.
9. Heat a neutral-tasting frying oil and monitor with a deep-fry thermometer. For smaller cuts (tenders, nuggets, sandwich cutlets) fry at about 350° F. For larger cuts and dark meat fry at about 325° F to allow longer cooking without over-browning the exterior.
10. Fry pieces until the exterior is brown to your liking. For larger bone-in pieces, after frying until browned, transfer them to a 350° F oven and finish cooking until internal temperature reaches about 160° F for light meat or 175° F or higher for dark meat (the creator notes this oven finish for most average sized pieces is about 10 minutes).
11. If desired, use the double-fry technique for extra crispiness: after the initial fry let the chicken rest at least 15 minutes, then fry again at the same or slightly higher temperature to re-crisp the exterior.
12. When finished frying, you may strain and reuse the oil a few times: strain through paper towels or cheesecloth and store in a cool, dark place. To discard oil, the creator suggests using oil-solidifier product per package instructions and then disposing in the trash after it solidifies.

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who made this found one simple prep move worth doing: freeze the butter before you work with it, that was the change folks mentioned most. If you want a crunchy, savory extra, some cooks saved the crispy chicken skins after cooking and kept them to sprinkle or tuck in later. And a common variation people tried was roasting the chicken first; some liked the flavor it added. Those three things are what came up again and again when people actually made it, so think about which fits how you want it to turn out.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Stock

• 1 whole chicken
• Neutral-flavored oil (or canola oil)
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Leeks
• Lemongrass
• 1 head garlic, halved widthwise
• Fennel fronds
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• Fresh parsley, sprigs
• Fresh thyme, sprigs
• 1-2 bay leaf
• Water

Pie crust

• 150g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 stick butter, refrigerator cold (or vegetable oil)
• 1-2 tbsp ice water
• 1 egg, beaten
• Flaky finishing salt, to taste

Filling (day-of white meat)

• 2 tbsp butter (or vegetable oil)
• Chicken breast meat, bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• Carrots, chopped
• Celery, chopped
• Parsnips, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, fresh, chopped
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 cup homemade chicken stock
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Freezer pies (dark meat)

• Chicken thigh and drumstick meat, bite-sized pieces
• Neutral-flavored oil (or canola oil)
• Garlic
• Aromatic vegetables, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, cold
• 2-3 tbsp cornstarch

book_ribbon Instructions

Make the stock

1. Break down the whole chicken: remove the spine, wings, legs, and breasts and reserve all skin, bones, and carcass pieces for stock; reserve white breast meat and dark thigh/drumstick meat separately and refrigerate.
2. Cut the carcass and spine into manageable pieces, toss with a little neutral-flavored oil, spread evenly on a greased rack set in an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour or until deeply brown.
3. Place roasted chicken pieces in a pot or pressure cooker with carrots, celery, onion and any optional root vegetables or aromatics you choose (parsnips, turnips, leeks, lemongrass), add a whole head of garlic halved widthwise, fennel fronds if using, about a tablespoon of whole peppercorns, a few sprigs of parsley and thyme, and a bay leaf or two if desired, then cover with water.
4. Simmer the stock slowly for 4–24 hours or cook in a pressure cooker for 60 minutes, then release pressure, strain, and drain the stock; reserve about 2 cups for the pie filling and more for other uses.

Make the pie crust

1. Whisk together 150 grams all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
2. Cut 1 stick (about 113 grams) refrigerator-cold butter into the flour until the butter is in pea-sized pieces (use a pastry cutter, two knives, or a food processor with a shredding disk and a frozen stick of butter).
3. Add ice water and bring the dough together: start with 50 grams ice water and add a tablespoon or two at a time as needed, mix with a rubber spatula and finish by massaging with hands until it just holds together; do not over-knead.
4. Form into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour to relax gluten and keep butter cold.
5. Alternatively, use a food processor: pulse flour and salt, shred a frozen stick of butter through the feed tube, then add ice water and coax into a cohesive disk, chill as above.

Make the filling (day-of white meat)

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet until sizzly and foamy, add the reserved chicken breast meat and sauté 2–3 minutes until colored; remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Add another 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, add half a chopped onion and sauté 2–3 minutes, then add chopped carrots, celery, and parsnips and sauté over medium heat about 5 minutes until softened and beginning to color.
3. Add 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes to form a roux with the butter.
5. Optionally deglaze with 1/4 cup white wine or dry sherry and cook about 1 minute until the alcohol smell evaporates.
6. Slowly add stock a little at a time, stirring until a thick paste forms, and eventually add about 2 cups of homemade chicken stock to form a thick sauce.
7. Return the sautéed chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
8. Remove from heat, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then stir in a few tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/2 cup frozen peas, and 1/4 cup heavy cream; taste and adjust seasoning, then set the filling covered aside while you roll out the dough.

Assemble and bake (cast-iron pot pie)

1. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator, generously flour the dough and work surface, and roll the dough out with a rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick and roughly twice its original diameter; cut into a round to cover the skillet filling.
2. Precook and pre-vent the crust: cut vents (decorative if desired), chill the cut crust for at least 30 minutes to reduce shrinkage, then brush the crust with a beaten egg and sprinkle with flaky finishing salt.
3. Bake the crust at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10–15 minutes until lightly golden; cool on a wire rack 10–15 minutes.
4. Place the cooled crust on top of the hot filling in the cast-iron skillet, then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Freezer pies (dark meat)

1. Cut reserved thigh and drumstick meat into bite-sized pieces and sauté in a little neutral-flavored oil until they pick up some color.
2. Add aromatics (onion, carrots, celery) and stock, then simmer about 20 minutes to braise and break down the dark meat.
3. Make a slurry by mixing 2–3 tablespoons cornstarch with about 1/2 cup cold stock until smooth; slowly stream the slurry into the simmering filling while stirring to avoid lumps and cook about 3 more minutes until thickened.
4. Season to taste, stir in chopped parsley, then cool the filling.
5. Portion filling into ramekins or intended serving vessels, top with rounds of pie crust (double the crust recipe or use scraps), wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months.
6. To reheat from frozen: bake wrapped in foil at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, unwrap, brush the crust with a beaten egg, and bake another 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.