The Comfort in Comfort Food

Old Man Winter made a very early and surprise appearance on the east coast of the U.S. One day we found ourselves in the path of Hurricane Sandy and a week later it was 30 degrees and felt like it could snow any minute. I had been eyeing this Chicken Pie menu for awhile and when the forecast presented itself, I knew just what I was going to make. 

Here's our menu:

Chicken Pie

French Style Peas

Sweet Carrot Smash

Berries, Shortbread & Chantilly Cream

After making this meal a few extraordinary things happened and I think I've had an ah-ha moment when it comes to comfort food. Comfort food is a process. I know that if my family had ordered this dish off a restaurant menu, it would not have had the same impact as sitting inside on a cold day, smelling and hearing this dish being cooked. Once the aroma of scallions and thyme floated through the air and they could hear the sizzling in the kitchen I got "MMMmmm" and "What smells so good, Mom?" And when I served this beautiful Chicken Pie and its side dishes they were all oozing love and good old-fashion warm-your-belly comfort!

Days later, on my way to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for another dinner, the littlest and pickiest eater says, "Hey, can you make that chicken thing again? Oh, and don't forget the mashy carrots and those peas like you made them." A lasting impression.

Success, Jamie Oliver. Success.

If you haven't tried a Meals in Minutes recipe yet, this is a good place to start. As Jamie says, "Get your 30 minute head on and get to work."

The Menu:

Chicken Pie

French Style Peas

Sweet Carrot Smash

Berries, Shortbread & Chantilly Cream

From Meals in Minutes by Jamie Oliver page 92

Ingredients

For chicken pie:
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
A pat of butter
A bunch of scallions
6 ounces button mushrooms
1 heaping tablespoon all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons English mustard
1 generous tablespoon heavy cream
1-1/4 cups organic chicken broth
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1/3 of a nutmeg for grating
1 large sheet of all-butter puff pastry
1 egg

For carrot smash:
1 1/2 pounds carrots
few sprigs of fresh thyme

For French-style peas:
1 heart of romaine lettuce
A pat of butter
1 tablespoon flour
1-1/4 cups organic chicken broth
A few sprigs of fresh mint
4 cups of frozen peas
1/2 lemon

For berries and cream:
1 pound mixed berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or figs
Elderflower cordial (optional)
1/2 lemon
2 sprigs of fresh mint
A few Scottish shortbread biscuits
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 heaped tablespoon confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Seasonings:
Olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper

Directions

1. Get all of your ingredients and equipment ready: Turn the oven on to 400ºF. Fill and boil the kettle. Put a large wide frying pan on medium heat and large saucepan with a lid on a low heat. Put the thick slicer disc attachment into the food processor.
2. Start chicken pie: Put the chicken breasts on a plastic board and slice into 1/2 inch strips. Put a lug of olive and a pat of butter into the hot large, wide pan. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes or so. Meanwhile, quickly trim the scallions and wash the mushrooms then slice together in a food processor. Add to the pan with 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and stir. Add 2 tablespoons of mustard, a generous tablespoon of heavy cream and 1-1/4 cups chicken broth. Stir well. Pick the thyme leaves and stir into the pan with a few fine gratings of nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to simmer.
3. Start carrot smash: Trim the carrots, and then quickly slice in the food processor. Add to the saucepan with a lug of extra-virgin olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and a few thyme tips. Just cover with boiled water, then cover with a lid and tun the heat to high. Cook for 15 minutes until tender.
4. Finish chicken pie: Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and unroll the sheet of puff pastry. Use a small kitchen knife to lightly crisscross and score it. Take the pan of chicken off the heat. Tip the filling into an ovenproof baking dish slightly smaller than the sheet of pastry (approximately 9x13 inches). Cover the filing with pastry sheet, tucking in at the edges. Quickly beat the egg then brush it over the top of the pie. Put into the oven and cook on the top shelf for around 15 minutes or until golden and gorgeous. Fill and reboil the kettle.
5. Start French peas: Return the empty chicken pan to a high heat. Quickly wash the lettuce and the slice it in the food processor. Add a pat of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan, then pour in 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, tear in the mint leaves and use a balloon whisk to mix to a smooth and bubbling sauce. Add the peas and the slice lettuce. Squeeze over the juice if 1/2 lemon, pour in a splash of boiled water, season with salt and pepper, stir, then put the lid on it.
6. Make berries and cream: Slice any larger strawberries, if using then put all of the fruit into a large serving dish. Add a little slug of elderflower cordial, if using and squeeze over the juice of 1/2 lemon. Mix to coat the fruit then pick the mint leaves and tear over. Take to the table with the cookies. Using an electric whisk, mix the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla pasta until thick. Put next to the berries on the table.
7. Finish carrot smash: Check the carrots are cooked through, then drain and return to the pan. Taste, correct the seasonings and leave as they are or smashed up. Take to the table.
8. To serve: Take the peas to the table, then get the pie out of the oven and tuck in.

Serves 4.

Meals cooked: 13

Meals left: 37

Weeks left: 18