Brendon McCarthy, owner of McCarthy’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Tequesta, grew up in the restaurant business. He started working as a dishwasher at his parents’ restaurant when he was 9, and he has preserved his family recipes for a new generation of diners. The chicken pot pie—one of McCarthy’s most popular dishes at the pub—is a legacy from his grandfather Arthur Watson, who fed troops in the Royal Air Force during World War II. The recipe hasn’t changed much in 75 years, though McCarthy admits that diners back then were far less concerned with butter and cream. “The dish is loaded with chicken,” he says, “but the gravy is the star.”
McCarthy’s Chicken Pot Pie
[Serves 4]
Ingredients
- 2 whole 3 lb. chickens
- Chicken base
- Roux (recipe below)
- White pepper and salt
- 4 cups fresh peas
- 2 cups diced carrots
- Puff pastry (Pillsbury recommended)
Directions
Boil chickens until meat is cooked thoroughly. Pick off all the white and dark meat and put aside. Run stock and bones through a strainer and save for the gravy. Make a roux by combining one or two cups of all-purpose flour and one pound of butter. Bring stock to a boil, add two tablespoons chicken base, and mix roux into the stock until gravy reaches desired consistency. Add a small amount of white pepper and salt to taste. Steam carrots and peas and add to gravy right before serving. Roll out puff pastry, cut into desired size square, and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine chicken and gravy and serve with hot puffed pastry square.
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