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1
Put the chicken legs and thighs plus the bony parts of chicken in a kettle and add cold water to cover.
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2
Bring to the boil and let simmer about one minute.
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3
Drain.
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4
Put 16 cups of water in a clean kettle and add the chicken pieces.
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5
Add the leek, bay leaves, two cups of the chopped onions and the celery.
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6
Cover and cook, skimming the surface often, to remove excess fat, foam and scum, about 15 minutes.
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7
Using a pair of tongs, remove the legs and thighs from the kettle.
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8
Let cool.
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9
Meanwhile, let the stock with the necks and backs continue to cook, skimming the surface as necessary.
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10
When the legs and thighs are cool enough to handle, remove and set aside the meat from the bones.
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11
Discard the skin.
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12
There should be about six cups of chicken meat.
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13
Toss the bones back into the kettle and cook one hour longer.
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14
Strain the broth, discarding the solids.
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15
Put three cups of the broth into a saucepan, saving the remaining broth for other uses.
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16
Add the cream to the broth and bring to the boil.
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17
Cook 10 or 15 minutes or until reduced to three and one-half cups.
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18
Meanwhile, slowly melt eight tablespoons of butter over gentle heat.
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19
Skim off the surface foam and carefully pour the clear center liquid into a cup.
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20
This is clarified butter.
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21
There should be about six tablespoons of the clarified butter.
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22
Pour this into a mixing bowl and add the flour.
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23
Stir to blend.
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24
Bring broth with the cream to the boil.
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25
Gradually add the blended flour and butter, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.
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26
Add the bottled hot sauce, lemon juice and salt to taste.
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27
Cook five minutes.
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28
Heat the remaining six tablespoons of butter in a wide, heavy skillet and add the shallots.
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29
Cook briefly, stirring.
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30
Add the remaining cup of onions, the carrots and the mushrooms and cook three minutes, stirring.
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31
Add the six cups of chicken meat.
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32
Cook, stirring occasionally, about three minutes.
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33
If fresh peas are used, drop them into boiling water and cook 30 seconds.
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34
Drain.
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35
If frozen peas are used, put them into a sieve and hold them under the hot water faucet about 15 seconds.
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36
Drain.
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37
Add the thickened sauce to the chicken and mushroom mixture.
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38
Stir in the peas.
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39
Blend thoroughly.
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40
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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41
Ideally, you should use six oven-proof earthenware pot-pie dishes measuring about five and one-half inches in diameter.
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42
Spoon equal portions of the creamed chicken into the dishes, piling each portion up slightly.
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43
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to an eighth-inch thickness.
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44
Using a round lid measuring about six and one-half inches in diameter, cut out six rounds to cover the tops of the pot-pie dishes.
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45
Brush around the perimeter of each round of pastry with beaten egg to make a one-inch egg-brushed margin.
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46
Brush around the outside top of each pot-pie dish about one-inch deep with beaten egg.
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47
Invert one egg-brushed round of dough over each filled pot-pie dish.
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48
Let the dough drape down all around the sides of each dish.
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49
Press the edges of the pastry against the upper side of each dish to seal firmly.
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50
Brush the top and sides of the pastry covers with more egg.
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51
Arrange the dishes on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
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52
Bake about 25 minutes or until the pastry topping is puffed and nicely browned.
