Vegetable Pot Pie

Who doesn't love a pot pie? Leah and I thought this was fantastic and really delicious. It involved a lot of chopping but once you get through that, it's a breeze. I didn't want to make the pastry from scratch, so I bought puff pastry. I also tried the low-fat evaporated milk substitution for heavy cream and I don't think anyone would have known the difference. You should definitely try this when you're looking for some great comfort food.


Vegetable Pot Pie
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

12 tbsp butter (I used 1 stick instead of this 1.5)
2 cups yellow onions, halved then sliced
1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp Pernod (anise flavored liquor) (I didn't have so I didn't use)
Pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp heavy cream (I used low-fat evaporated milk)
1 1/2 cups large diced potatoes (1/2 lb)
1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4 inch diced carrots (about 4 carrots)
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4 inch diced butternut squash
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley
Puff pastry (defrost it in the fridge all day)

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes. Slowly add stock, pernod, saffron, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and taste for seasonings (it should be highly seasoned because you're going to add all those veggies).

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus, carrots and squash to the pot and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lay out the puff pastry, put the bowls you will use upside down on the pastry and cut around the bowl leaving 1/2 inch extra. Divide the filling equally among 4 bowls. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place dough on top. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake for 1 hours, on until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and hot.