Chicken "Potpie" with Stuffing Crust

By danyell923

Ingredients

• 5 thyme sprigs
• 3 sage sprigs
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 1 cob)
• Pepper

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 330mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the Chicken Stew
Using kitchen twine, tie the thyme and sage sprigs into a bundle. Turn a 6- to 6 1/2-quart slow cooker to low and set the timer for 5 hours and 15 minutes.

Add the butter and cover until the butter melts. Stir in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated and a paste forms. Stir in the chicken stock and half-and-half, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Add the herbs, then add the next 9 ingredients, up to and including the salt. Cover and cook for 4 hours, stirring after 2 hours.

Stir in the chicken, peas and corn. Cover and cook until the chicken is white throughout, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Discard the herb bundle. Season the stew with pepper.

Meanwhile, Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly oil a baking sheet. In a food processor, pulse the bread cubes until coarse crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the potato chips and Ritz crackers to the processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form; add to the bowl. Stir in the 1/4 cup of oil and all of the remaining ingredients except the poached eggs and garnishes. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and pat it out to an even 1/4-inch layer with your fingertips. Bake until golden and crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Break into 3-by-3-inch pieces.

Serve the chicken stew in bowls, each topped with a poached egg and a piece of crust. Garnish with thyme, parsley and lemon zest.