Food Bloggers Challenger: April's Spanish Chicken Pot Pie

You've met the Challengers before we started filming in November...
1. Lauren DeSantis: Host and Producer of Capital Cooking
2. April Fulton: Food Scribe
3. Stefanie Gans: Endless Simmer
4. Alison McConnell: Humble Gourmand
5. Johnna Rowe: Johnna Knows Good Food

You've seen Johnna and April's recipes for chicken pot pie, but now check out Challenger 3.
Check out the episodes this month.

15. Food Bloggers Challenge Part 1: Comfort Food. Join Lauren and four other food bloggers as they compete in making the best Chicken Potpie. This episode will feature Alison McConnell, April Fulton Johnna Rowe. A panel of judges will determine the winner along with votes from readers and viewers. Make sure to watch Part 2 to find out the winner. and
16. Food Bloggers Challenge Part 2: Comfort Food. Join Lauren and four other food bloggers as they compete in making the best Chicken Potpie. This episode will feature Stefanie Gans and Lauren DeSantis. A panel of judges will determine the winner along with votes from readers and viewers.

The judges have voted and now it is your chance to weigh in. This month we will feature clips of each challenger making their version of chicken potpie. We will also feature the recipes and encourage you to try these at home before you vote. 

Food Bloggers Challenge

Main Dish: Spanish Chicken Pot Pie

By April Fulton

1 T. cumin seeds

1 T. fennel seeds

1 T. coarse salt

One 4 lb. all natural or organic chicken

2 T. olive oil, separated

½ red onion

2-3 garlic cloves

About 3 sweet potatoes (3 cups)

1/4 lb. chorizo, skin removed

1 ½ T. butter

2 T. flour

2 cups total hot chicken stock and degreased pan drippings

healthy pinch of saffron, toasted (about ¼ t.)

½ lb. all butter puff pastry

For chicken:

Toast cumin and fennel seeds in a dry pan until you can smell them. Spill out onto a dinner plate, add salt, stir, set aside to cool 10 minutes.

Stick your fingers between the chicken skin and meat to loosen skin, rub with 1 T. olive oil and rub inside and out with spice rub.

Cut onion ½ into quarters, halve garlic, stuff cavity, tie legs

Roast in roasting pan in a 425 oven 15-20 minutes, turn oven down to 350, roast another 60-80 minutes longer until juice runs clear – 180 in thigh

If time, let cool slightly, then refrigerate separately the chicken, the veggies, and the pan drippings overnight.

For filling:

Roughly chop sweet potatoes into 1” dice and toss with 1 T olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in 425 oven about 10 minutes until they just begin to brown.

Chop onions and garlic from chicken cavity into 1/2'” pieces and set aside.

When chicken is cold, discard layer of fat from drippings, which will be easy because its solid, and chop half of the chicken into roughly 1” chunks, including some skin. You should have about 2 cups. Reserve the rest of chicken for another use.

Fry chorizo over medium high heat in frying pan until brown, chopping with spoon as it cooks.

When sweet potatoes are ready, combine all veggies and drained chorizo, set aside.

For sauce:

In a clean Dutch oven, melt butter over medium, add flour whisking 1-2 minutes until it slightly colors. Pour strained stock in all at once, stirring vigorously, heat an additional 10 minutes or so until it thickens to your liking, add saffron and stir. Caution--- leave it thinner than you want – it gets thick sitting.

To finish:

Finally, combine filling with sauce in Dutch oven, pour in oven safe dish, bake at 350 for 10 minutes to meld flavors, make surface hot.

Meanwhile roll out crust to size on a floured cutting board and place back in fridge until needed. When filling is bubbling, top with room temperature crust and bake 20 minutes more or until golden brown and flaky. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Serves 6.

Photos by Shauna Alexander.