COOKING: CHICKEN POTPIE 101
Potpies, which in their most common form are simple stews of meat
or poultry and vegetables baked inside a pastry crust, have a
winsome, all-American air about them. But they're actually an
evolution of the freestanding meat pies once so popular in medieval
cookery.

From the Middle Ages through the 1600s and beyond, women all
over Europe arranged their grains, vegetables, and occasional bits of
meat inside sturdy crusts that they would carry to the town's
communal oven for baking.

In the baronial kitchens of England, cooks loaded tremendous pastry
crusts with minced pork, veal, chicken, rabbit, and venison. On
occasion, a huge nonedible pie containing a surprise for guests was
added to the bill of fare. The nursery rhyme of "four-and-twenty
blackbirds baked in a pie" merrily describes such a banquet prank
that set birds into flight.

The English brought their pie-making enthusiasm with them to the
New World, where hearty pies of deer, rabbit, and wild herbs helped
sustain thousands of new arrivals in the perilous fledgling colonies
until vegetable crops could be planted. Settlers brought chickens with
them to Jamestown in 1607. and the birds multiplied with biblical
force. Their tough hearts, gizzards, and livers were Chopped, liberally
seasoned, and baked in pastry crusts made from flour, water, and
lard: a dubious, eary American rendition of chicken potpie. The
potpies that Americans now consider classic probably date from the
late 1700s, when Old World transplants living on the Eastern
Seaboard began adapting to their new surroundings. With no
communal ovens and no stoves, Quaker women, Pennsylvania
Dutch women, and others cooked in open fireplaces.

CHICKEN POTPIE Serves 8 to 10

1 sheet frozen puff pastry from standard package (17 1/4 ounces), thawed 
    or 1/3 pound fresh puff pastry
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium carrots (about i2 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces small cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed
1/3 cup cognac
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
5 cups roasted or Poached Chicken
1 cup shelled green peas
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh thyme eaves
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg plus 1 yolk for egg wash

1. At least 1 hour (or up to the day) before the filling is prepared, roll puff
pastry out on a lightly floured surtace to a 3/16-inch-thick square. Place on a
baking sheet, wrap tightly wlth plastic, and chill for one hour.

2. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator, and place on a cutting board.
Directly onto the dough invert a bowl or place a lid that is 2 1/2 to 3 inches
larger in diameter than a 3-quart round casserole or souffle dish. With a
sharp knife, cut around the bowl or lid so that you have a perfect circle.
Return the circle of dough to the baking sheet. wrap tightly with plastic and
chill tor at least 2 hours.

3. Place a rack in lower two-thirds position of the oven; heat oven, preferably
convection, to 425 degrees F. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large
heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. 10
to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms, cooking until mushrooms are heated
through. Add cognac and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour and cook stirring
for 1 minute. Pour in chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer; cook until
thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas,
parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 3-quart
casserole or soufflé dish. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, yolk, and 1 teaspoon water.
Remove dough circle from refrigerator, and brush surface evenly with egg
wash. Invert dough and place directly over the casserole, pressing lightly to