Hen Piccata Potpie Recipe

Hen piccata is an easy dish that sings. With its shiny lemony taste and buttery end, it’s straightforward to like. Right here the Italian American basic is remodeled into a comfy potpie, topped with a store-bought puff pastry lid that turns deeply golden and shatteringly crisp within the oven.The filling comes collectively rapidly, beginning with shredded rotisserie hen as a substitute of uncooked hen. Aromatics like shallot and garlic soften in butter and a splash of dry white wine deglazes the skillet, pulling up all of the savory bits and giving the sauce a little bit depth. Hen broth goes in subsequent, and a little bit of flour thickens the combination right into a silky, spoon-coating gravy that’s wealthy with out being heavy. Then come the 2 substances that make piccata unmistakable: loads of recent lemon juice for brightness and capers for that salty, briny punch.

Earlier than it goes into the oven, a relaxing puff pastry sq. is brushed with an egg wash and laid over the effervescent filling. Not like a typical butter piecrust, store-bought puff pastry saves time and stays flaky and crisp, which is strictly what you need in opposition to a creamy sauce. The important thing to sustaining the pastry’s crackly texture over a moist filling is slicing just a few slits so steam can escape. Brushing the undersides of the corners with an egg wash and urgent them to the skillet additionally helps forestall shrinkage. The result’s the place the place basic meets cozy, good for a cold evening in or a straightforward principal at a cocktail party.

One of the simplest ways to shred hen

A rotisserie hen is simple to drag into shreds by hand whereas it’s nonetheless heat, utilizing your fingers or two forks if you happen to want finer items. For a fair faster technique, add the nice and cozy hen to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater and blend on low simply till shredded, 15 to 30 seconds. Work in batches so that you don’t overmix and switch the meat mushy. The secret’s doing this whereas the meat remains to be heat. As soon as the meat cools, it companies up and turns into more durable to interrupt aside. 

What to serve with Hen Piccata Potpie 

Like many potpies, this one’s creamy filling and flaky pastry make it a hearty standalone meal. To enrich the intense acidity of the lemon and capers, serve it with a evenly dressed arugula salad for freshness and a peppery chunk. Greens with a pure trace of bitterness —like roasted brussels sprouts or sautéed broccoli rabe — additionally assist stability the pie’s richness. The potpie comes with a puff pastry topping, however you may additionally sop up the lemony sauce with a slice of crusty bread. 

Notes from the Meals & Wine Take a look at Kitchen

• Brush the undersides of the pastry corners with egg wash to encourage browning and adhesion. 
• Use each gentle and darkish hen meat for one of the best taste and texture. 
• Stir in a single to 2 cups of thawed peas, sautéed mushrooms, or spinach to bulk up the filling and add coloration.

This recipe was developed by Julia Levy; the textual content was written by Andee Gosnell.