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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
40 minutes
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Serves
1
Author Notes
This chicken pot pie recipe is a reminder that comfort food doesn't have to mean heavy. A light Thai curry and coconut chicken filling takes the winter favorite and makes it fit for these warm and rainy days of spring. In the same way that I adore Better Than Bouillon chicken concentrate, store-bought red curry paste is a great shortcut for lazy weekends in, when you're looking for maximal flavor (here in the form of Thai red chiles, garlic, and lemongrass) but with minimal effort.
Speaking of minimal effort, the pie crust is homemade, with the idea in mind that making one single portion of dough feels somehow more manageable than a large one. Relaxing even, at least for me. (But hey, I won't be mad if you decide to use store-bought puff pastry; that stuff is delicious, too.) —Eric Kim
Test Kitchen Notes
Featured in: A Personal Chicken Pot Pie You Can Cook & Eat in One Pan. —The Editors
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Ingredients
- Pie crust
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4 tablespoons
cold unsalted butter, cut up into small pieces
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3/4 cup
plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out
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2 to 3 tablespoons
ice water
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1
large pinch kosher salt
- Filling
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1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
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1
large shallot, diced
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2
boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1/2 pound), cut into bite-size pieces
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons
Thai red curry paste
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2/3 cup
unsweetened coconut milk (one of those mini 5.46–fluid ounce cans), well mixed (or if you want a more classically creamy filling, 2/3 cup heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock)
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1 cup
radishes, quartered
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1/2 cup
frozen peas
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2 teaspoons
fish sauce
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1/2
lime, juiced
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1 pinch
sugar
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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For the pie crust: In a small bowl using the tips of your fingers, press the flour into the butter until you have small, flat pieces (and most of the flour is touching butter in some way). Add the ice water and salt and form dough into a ball. Wrap and chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
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For the filling: In a small 8-inch, oven-safe skillet, melt the butter and sauté the shallot for 1 to 2 minutes, just until fragrant. Add the chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, bring to a simmer, and keep cooking until reduced slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. (If you've decided to use heavy cream and chicken stock instead of coconut milk, then skip this step and add them in the next.)
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Turn off the heat; add the radishes, peas, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar (plus cream and stock if using); and stir together.
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Take the pie dough out of the fridge and, using a wine bottle (the best rolling pin in my book), roll out into a flat 9-inch circle (i.e., large enough so it's about 1 inch larger in diameter than the skillet), about 1/8 inch thick. Gently place over the filling, folding the edge under itself all the way around the pan to seal. Crimp if you have the skills (I don't). Cut four slits on top and transfer skillet to a sheet pan (for insurance, in case the pot pie spills over while cooking).
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust has browned and filling has reduced.
Eric Kim was the Table for One columnist at Food52. He is currently working on his first cookbook, KOREAN AMERICAN, to be published by Clarkson Potter in 2022. His favorite writers are William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway, but his hero is Nigella Lawson. You can find his bylines at The New York Times, where he works now as a writer. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @ericjoonho.
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