Recipes: Easy Chicken Pot Pie & Croque Madame

All week long on Dinner DeeAs we're sharing how to make the 5 key sauces known as French ‘Mother Sauces’, so-called because they're foundations for so many other sauces and dishes. We start the week with Béchamel, and use it for a perfect pie and sensational sandwich. These recipes were brought to us by Chef Jeremy Duclut, who runs restaurants 'The Wooden Rooster' in St Pete and Sarasota, and- also in Sarasota- 'Marcel' and bar 'Pangea Alchemy Lab'.

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Béchamel Sauce

Ingredients

• ¼ lb (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart milk
• salt & pepper
• nutmeg
• 1 clove

Directions

1. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add flour to melted butter, whisking continuously to form smooth paste (roux). Cook 2–3 minutes, ensuring flour is fully incorporated.
3. Slowly pour in milk while continuously whisking to prevent lumps.
4. Bring to gentle boil. Sauce will begin to thicken.
5. Add pinch of salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Drop in clove for added aroma.
6. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until sauce reaches desired consistency. Remove clove before using sauce.

Chicken Pie with Mornay Sauce (Béchamel Sauce with cheese added)

Ingredients

• ¼ lb (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 8 chicken tenderloins, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 carrots, diced 1 inch thick
• 2 potatoes, diced 1 inch thick
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 qt Béchamel Sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp dry tarragon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten with pinch of salt and touch of water (egg wash)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. In large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken pieces until browned.
3. Add diced carrots, potatoes, and shallots. Cook until vegetables start to become tender.
4. Deglaze skillet with white wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan.
5. Add Bechamel Sauce, then stir in cheddar cheese.
6. Add corn, peas, parsley, garlic, and tarragon. Stir to combine.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Cut puff pastry to fit baking dish or dishes you will be using for pie.
9. Spoon chicken mixture into baking dish(es). Cover with puff pastry and crimp edges to seal.
10. Brush top of puff pastry with prepared egg wash for golden finish.
11. Place pie(s) in preheated oven and bake 20 minutes or until puff pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Croque Madame

Ingredients

• 1 loaf sourdough bread
• 1 qt Béchamel Sauce
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 lb thinly sliced smoked ham
• 4 oz butter
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Slice sourdough bread into ¼ inch thick slices.
3. Spread layer of Béchamel Sauce on one side of each slice of bread.
4. Sprinkle generous amount of shredded Swiss cheese on top of Béchamel-coated bread slices.
5. Place ham on top of cheese.
6. Add additional layer of Béchamel and another sprinkling of cheese on top of ham.
7. Assemble sandwiches by placing other half of bread slices on top, cheese side facing ham.
8. Place sandwiches on baking tray and bake in preheated oven 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. While sandwich is cooking, start sunny-side up eggs.
10. In non-stick pan, melt butter and crack eggs.
11. Cook eggs slowly, 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Remove sandwiches from oven and slide eggs on top.

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