Spring chickens under crust

As you shed your winter layers, give your chicken potpie the same treatment.

This fresh and flavorful recipe has an extra-crunchy top and a tarragon-scented filling of artichoke hearts and leeks. If you’re still hibernating a bit, try a coq-au-vin-inspired riff, enriched with bacon and mushrooms and tucked under a cozy crust.

LIGHT AND BRIGHT CHICKEN POTPIE

2½ pounds chicken pieces (2 whole legs and 1 whole bone-in breast)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced and well washed (1½ cups)

2 carrots, cut into a ½-inch dice (1 cup)

2 celery stalks, sliced (¾ cup)

1 medium Yukon Gold or white potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (1¼ cups)

½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1 cup quartered frozen artichoke hearts

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus 1 sprig for serving

Phyllo clusters or classic pie crust

1. Cook chicken and simmer broth: Place chicken in a medium Dutch oven or large saucepan, skin sides down. Cover with broth and 2 cups water; add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool about 30 minutes. Strain broth, discarding solids (you should have about 3½ cups).

Remove chicken from bones and shred meat into bite-size chunks. Discard skin and bones. You’ll need 2½ cups chicken; save the rest for salads or sandwiches.

2. Make filling: Wash and dry Dutch oven or saucepan; melt butter in it over medium-high heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, potato, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook, stirring, until leeks are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add vermouth; cook until mostly evaporated, about 1½ minutes. Stir in flour; cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 2¾ cups broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until potato is just barely tender, about 5 minutes (mixture will look very thick; that’s OK, as the vegetables will release liquid in the oven). Stir in chicken, peas, artichokes and chopped tarragon. Season to taste; transfer to a 2½-quart baking dish (such as a 9½-to-10-by-2-inch-deep round one) and let cool 30 minutes or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day.

3. Top and bake pie: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Top as desired. Bake until golden brown and bubbling in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving, garnished with tarragon sprig.

“You may be used to potpies with milk or cream in the filling, but I leave it out so the flavors of the chicken and vegetables really shine.” — Sarah Carey, Martha Stewart Living editorial director of food and entertaining

Two ways to top it

PHYLLO CLUSTERS: Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Brush a sheet of phyllo lightly with melted butter. Scrunch into a loose ball and place on filling. Repeat with more sheets brushed with butter, covering the filling but leaving a bit of space between pieces; depending on the shape and size of your pan, you’ll need 8 to 12 sheets total.

CLASSIC PIE CRUST: Roll out half a recipe of Martha Stewart Living Test Kitchen’s favorite pate brisée (see additional recipe) into a -inch-thick round or rectangle that’s slightly larger than your baking dish. Drape it over the cooled filling. Cut five vents in dough and brush with a beaten egg before baking to give it a golden-brown finish.

———

This richer, more savory pie takes cues from coq au vin. Note the higher amount of flour; it’s needed because the mushrooms release so much liquid as they cook.

COQ-A-DOODLE-DOO

At the start of Step 2 of the chicken potpie recipe, cut 5 ounces thick-cut bacon into ½-inch pieces; cook in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove; drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat; add 10 ounces sliced cremini or button mushrooms (about 4½ cups). Cook over high heat until golden brown and liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add butter and proceed with chicken potpie recipe, adding 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme to aromatics, replacing vermouth with red wine and increasing flour to ½ cup. Return bacon to pot with chicken; omit artichoke hearts and tarragon.

Extra, extra!

PLAY SINGLES: Make a full recipe of the pate brisée (see additional recipe). Roll each disk out  inch thick; cut out rounds just larger than the diameter of individual baking dishes.

GET CHEESY: Add 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper to the pie crust’s dry ingredients. It’s really delicious with the coq-a-doodle-doo potpie.

———

You only need half of this recipe for one full-size potpie; freeze the other half for another day. For individual pies, you will need the full recipe, as there is some loss from scraps.

TEST KITCHEN’S FAVORITE PATE BRISÉE

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

7 to 8 tablespoons ice water

1. Pulse flour, salt and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Drizzle 5 tablespoons water over mixture; pulse several times to combine. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture holds together when pinched.

2. Shape dough into two disks and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, or freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.

Active time: 10 minutes; total time: 1 hour and 10 minutes; Makes enough for 2 large potpies or 6 individual ones.

More recipes and additional tips may be found online at www.marthastewart.com/everydayfood. Questions or comments may be sent to ask.martha@meredith.com.