Guest Cook: Gregor’s Chicken Pot Pie
The only thing better than cooking for your friends is having your friends cook for you. And better still are those kinds of dinners when you show up - not with the hors d’oeuvres neatly arranged while cocktails are shaking things up in the kitchen - but when the cook is just clicking into action. The kitchen is my favorite room to hang out in, but it’s especially nice to lean against your friend’s windowsill drinking a beer while something is simmering on the stove. It’s all the comfort of being at home without the dysfunction of your family!
When we showed up at our friend Gregor’s house his adorable son, Hopper, had already been tucked into his new big boy bed. Even though the party had a lid on it and we spent a lot of our time whispering, I learned lots of good tricks: Gregor puts a shopping bag next to him on the counter so he doesn’t have to make frequent trips to the garbage can, the $5.99 you spend on a rotisserie chicken will outshine any Forever 21 accessories at the same price (or, of course, you can roast your own), and you can cover turpentine with frozen puff pastry and it will taste like a dream. If, on the other hand, you use actual ingredients to replicate Gregor’s chicken pot pies, you’ll be made in the shade.
Even though he used the odds and ends from his freezer (and that’s my favorite kind of cooking!), Gregor made chicken pot pies worthy of a teensy French bistro when he packed them into single serving size ramekins and covered them with puff pastry that turned the most enviable shade of gold. I also love that Gregor plays fast and loose in the kitchen. He wasn’t constantly consulting The Joy of Cooking and being rulesy about measurements. Gregor just intuited his way through the whole meal, which meant that when our bellies were warm with these rich and delicious pot pies there weren’t any extra measuring spoons and cups to wash. And that’s alright in with me. Thanks, Gregor! Can we come back for ribs?
megan: gregor seems like an A+ partner in crime.
hurray for puff pastry!4 years ago
julie: ok. i admit it. i’m the pot pie maker’s mom, but lordee those pot pies look superlicious and i’m ordering up a bunch.4 years ago
Allison: Just what family dysfunction would you be referring to, Miss Smarty Pants?? XOX MOM4 years ago
Sarah: The hypothetical kind, of course, Mom!4 years ago
alison: I am running out of excuses not to cook!!!
[PS: Gregor--nice ramekins!]4 years ago
camilla: I want to cry I love this so much.4 years ago
Gregor Clark: Yeah, ramekins ROCK! Pink you can have ribs anytime - just say the word and I’ll break out the beef broth.4 years ago
Jennifer: You guys are fantastic! We are totally hooked here and I’ve told all my friends to check out your site. Can’t wait for the next episode!4 years ago
Genevieve: Wow. Once again, your website rocks! Seriously, Sarah, how did you become so stylish? Did you grow up in a family of friendly Martha Stewart and Delia Smith types, or are you a black sheep?4 years ago
Sarah: You are very kind, Genevieve! My mom would be content to live on tea and toast and my dad eats so fast he’s been dubbed “the red tornado;” Martha Stewarts they’re not, but they are very friendly.4 years ago
step-monster: I know what I’m serving at my next dinner party! This is a great prepare ahead dish, so the hostess can enjoy her glass of wine with her guests instead of ALL ALONE IN THE KITCHEN, while everyone else is having all the fun. Thanks4 years ago
Sophia: I tried the pie last night and I have to say it was the best pie ever.
Plus, I discovered that leftover pie filling makes nice chicken soup for today’s lunch.
Thank you!4 years ago
Anna Turman: Excellent work! Maybe it is hard to find something pleasant for me, but in fact there are the things like your site, bringing a sheer pleasure!3 years ago