I was just downloading my newest batch of photos from my camera when I ran across a bunch from a dinner I made earlier this week. It was pretty epic so I thought I would share. I was wanting some warm comfort food, I had some puff pastry sheets and chicken breasts..... Of course, Chicken Pot Pie was the first thing that popped into my head! Really, when a dinner begins with onion, celery and carrot it's really hard to go wrong. 
I didn't have a recipe (per the usual); but I think I ended up with a fairly traditional rendition of the dish... I tossed some raw potato in and I also mashed up a couple cooked potatoes that I had with some milk and used that to make the delicious creamy sauce. I decided to put my own spin on it in the spice department; but throwing in a lot of tarragon. Maybe even a bit too much... It ended up working though - what I thought was a bit overpowering in my saucepan somehow calmed down and meshed with the other flavours as it bubbled away in the oven for an hour or so.
I had some leftover puff pastry so I decided to use that as my crust. In hindsight, I think I would have cooked it separately and then floated it on top. Maybe not... I do know now that rolling puff pastry into little balls to make a pretty edge means that they do not cook all the way. I will not be trying that trick again!
I think my oven heats a bit unevenly as one side of the pie ended up being more puffed and brown than the other - no worries, it was still pretty and it all eats the same. I was quite happy with my decorative tree cut out of the pastry. I'm glad I followed through on that particular whim.
I was quite pleased when Joe had a second helping - that always means that I made something really really yummy in his mind. I almost didn't notice how much he was enjoying it - I was too busy photographing my serving and sipping on my delicious wine from the Coonawarra Valley (gift from the neighbors for feeding their cats).
I also made a green salad - I didn't want our whole meal to be so heavy. Although, why I feel the need to justify myself is beyond me. Well, actually it isn't; but that is another post.....
Posts
Your pie looks so pretty!!!
That looks beautiful!
I found your blog through another - and I totally love it! I'd like to visit a friend in Australia over the next year and have been having a blast going through your blog!
Just wanted to let you know who else was reading!
Take care,
Mandy
@ Samantha - Thanks!
@ Mandy - Welcome and thank you! I highly recommend you visiting - this is by far the coolest most beautiful place I have ever been! Just wait for the next entry... we did a walk down the coast and I got some amazing shots...
YUM!! Looks so good and I LOVE the tree design. I'd definitely love that butternut ravioli recipe if you have it.
@ Elsja - well, it's not really a "recipe" per-se... You just steam butternut squash till it's nice and mushy and then mix it in a bowl with ricotta, grated mozzerella, a beaten egg and some salt and pepper. If I had to guesstimate I would say, use one large squash, half cup of each of the cheeses and one egg. Once the filling is cool, puta small spoonful into the centers of the little square wonton wrappers. You can fold them over flat to have small rectangles, fold them over diagonally to have little triangles, or you can use a bigger spoonful of filling and put one wrapper on top of the other to make large square ones. You need to get the edges of the wrappers slightly wet to make them stick togther. Boil them a half dozen or so at a time for about 3 or 4 minutes or until they look a bit transparent and float.
Serve them with sage and brown butter. Just brown the butter a bit and then throw in some coursely chopped sage leaves while the butter is still very hot so that they get crispy.