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Video: Delicious chicken ‘not’ pie

  1. Closed captioning of: Delicious chicken ‘not’ pie

    >> an old party standby.

    >>> this morningn "how toook everything today," the perfect recipe on cd nter's night, chicken ,ot e. ma btman is anew york times" columnist and author o

    food matters: guide to cocious eating." mark, od morning. nice to seeyou.

    >> hello, matt.

    >> why would youo this to me? one of my forit dishes is chicken pot pie , and my favorite partf cck pot pie is the crust.

    >> t'revenge, sorof, rely.

    >> is that what y're doin what are we, trying to save calories here?

    >> wl, we'rerying to sor of change the proportns of the stuff that's really, rlly good for you and the stuff thas not good foryou. your tical crustas a stick of butter, cup of flour, 1,200 caries. i can make you an enjoyable pot pie without that ust.

    >> ccken not e.

    >> right.

    >> we' got chicken and leeks on tstov

    >> there's oli oil in he. 've been sautein these leeks for aouple minute

    >> okay.

    >> wre going to put in a little bitf wine.

    >> is this chien stock?

    >> a little broth -- well, it' vegetable stock, but any stock will do. ehole thing.

    >> wholehing okay.

    >> you canse water also.

    >> ll right.

    >> rbs, thyme,etter gone, whatever y lik this is rragon. simmer theseabies until th're --

    >> using boneless chien brsts, or tenderlos.

    >> whi is the supermarket term r thinn chick breasts, sliced chicken breasts.

    >> you'll ok those for a while butake tm out before they're completely done

    >> take them out just as they're fishing, because aft that, theye going tory out. okay, great.

    >> n we have an assortmen -- weav a fabulous tasten broth, becauset's broth centuated by chicken , right, and the leeks. and we're going to add some potaes. what kind of potatoes?

    >> yukon golds. was th a te? we have so parsns and carrots.

    >> asparagus.

    >> aaragus and peas.

    >> you can use frozen if you don't have fsh?

    >> for peas, you can aolutely use frozen. for aspagus, you know, i mht useome -- if thereeren't fresh asparagus, iight use ussel sprouts or cabbage. this is kd of -- it's a stew.

    >> you can make some substitutions. how long does think to cook down?

    >> say ten minutes.

    >> all ght, great. now --

    >> a meanwhile, while that's cooking, you cut up your icken.

    >> all right. make sure this hasn't ded out. still go.

    >> oy, good. i was worri there for a minute.

    >> it's ay. d thas going to go bk in re.

    >> and you want that in big chunks

    >> wn that's- well, you want -- u might want it in smaller chunks. you ght want chunk like that. bite-sized chunks

    >> and how long does this whol thing have t cook?

    >> would say -- the chicken in the first pot for ten minus, the vegetabsn here for about ten minutes, and then warming the chicken - this will thicken and warm - another t or three minutes, basilly.

    >> ll right. so, that's cooked down for the and th iwhatt looks like. a lotf chickenot pies have the creamy fini. this has more of a broth finish to it.

    >> this is very brothy, and i think y can call it -- you know -- good morning.

    >> good mornin

    >> right on cue. spoon es in the pot,he door opens.

    >> y.

    >> call it, you know, there's an old-fashioned recipe called chicn in a po which i basically chicken with a bunch of vegetables.

    >> that's whahis is.

    >> and that's kind of what this . are you psing tm down?

    >> tha you th is chicken soup with most of the stuff --

    >> and you canervehis with a great couple of biscui, right, butter?

    >> dough, actl if you'd like -- and som butter.

    >> ove some rice o noodles, anythi you like, but there y go.

    >> let's try it. i started min alady, so --

    >> y did. mark bittman 's shochicke n pie.

    >> i still want the crust.

    >> f course you want , b you n'tave it, rit?

    >> okay. if youan't have it, then you have the next best thi.

    >> you he toete. this is okay. mark, thk you very much.

    >> hat compliment. anks, matt. wow. what a eorment.

    >> t food's not rrle.

TODAY recipes
updated 1/6/2010 9:52:39 AM ET 2010-01-06T14:52:39

Can chicken pot pie still be considered comfort food if you leave out the crust? Mark Bittman thinks so. The longtime food writer and author of "Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating" offers his own unique spin on this timeless classic.

"This one-pot version includes lots of creamy potatoes, all the familiar vegetables, and a couple of surprises to boot," Bittman writes. "Frozen peas are a good substitute when fresh peas aren't available; but if asparagus is out of season, try ribbons of cabbage or chard. The naturally thickened sauce is brothy enough to enjoy with a little whole grain bread or noodles, or over brown rice if you still need a carb fix. You don't even really need a salad but it can't hurt."

Recipe: Chicken Not Pie (on this page)


Recipe: Chicken Not Pie

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 leeks, washed well and diced, including some of the green part
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine or water
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or more water
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or tarragon leaves or a good pinch dried thyme or tarragon
  • 2 boneless chicken breasts (1 whole breast, split in half), or 4 whole chicken tenderloins
  • 2 or 3 large all-purpose potatoes (like redskin or Yukon Gold), peeled if you like and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 medium carrots or parsnips, cut into coins
  • 1/2 pound sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed and strings removed if necessary; or 1 cup shell peas (frozen are fine)
  • 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Preparation

1. Put half of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the leeks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, stock, and herb; bring to a boil, and let bubble for a minute or two.

2. Add the chicken, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is barely cooked through, 5 or 6 minutes. Remove the chicken.

3. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil; reduce the heat so the liquid bubbles enthusiastically; and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots or parsnips and cook for another couple of minutes. By now the liquid should be thickening; if not, turn the heat up and cook another couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the vegetables from sticking. Add the remaining oil gradually, stirring vigorously with the back of a spoon as you do so.

4. Add the peas and asparagus to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are brightly colored and just tender, about 3 minutes. Chop or slice the chicken and return it to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated and the lemon juice. When warmed through, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with the parsley.

Serving Size

Serves 4

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