Ingredients:

  • 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, frozen for 15 minutes, then coarsely grated
  • ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
  • 4 to 5 tbsp (60 to 75 ml) ice water
  • 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (150 g)
  • 2 medium carrots, diced (130 g)
  • 2 celery stalks, diced (60 g)
  • 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
  • 1 cup (145 g) frozen peas
  • 1 tsp (3 g) dried thyme
  • ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
  • ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
  • 1 egg yolk (17 g)
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk

Instructions:

  1. Whisk the flour and ½ tsp fine salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Grate the frozen butter directly into the flour. Toss with your fingertips until each piece is coated. The mixture should look like coarse sand with some pea-sized bits still visible.
  3. Drizzle in 4 tbsp ice water and stir with a fork. Add the fifth tablespoon only if the dough won't hold together when pressed. Mix only until it holds together.
  4. Gather the dough into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic, and freeze for 15 minutes until firm and cool, not soft or sticky.
  5. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, until the outside is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. It does not need to be cooked through yet.
  6. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables soften.
  7. Sprinkle in 3 tbsp flour and stir constantly for 1 minute, until it smells toasty and no longer raw.
  8. Slowly whisk in the broth and milk. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
  9. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Add the thyme, ½ tsp salt, and pepper and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in the peas for the final 2 minutes. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest piece.
  10. Pour the hot filling into a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish or 2-quart baking dish and spread it evenly.
  11. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) while the filling rests.
  12. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch (28 cm) round, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Roll once, in one direction, without pressing down hard.
  13. Drape the dough over the hot filling. Trim the edge to ½ inch (1.25 cm) past the rim, then crimp the edges to seal.
  14. Cut four 1-inch (2.5 cm) steam vents in the top. Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk and brush the top evenly.
  15. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the vents.
  16. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets.