sesame chicken pot pie

inspired by none other than a recipe of the same name—*gasp*

this is a little half sized version of the pot pie, which you could also easily do

this is a recipe that i started developing at the beginning of the year. i had it nearly ready to publish in april, but by then the weather was already warming up here in berlin and, personally, just about the last thing i wanted to make, let alone eat, was chicken pot pie. so i shelved it, knowing i would very eagerly come running back in the fall with a last round of testing and tweaking before publication—and here we are.

the inspiration for this recipe came through carolina gelen’s substack, SCRAPS, where she published a recipe for a sesame chicken pot pie; yes, you read that right. as per usual when it comes to recipe newsletters, i saw the title first. before even clicking in, i’d already brought the dish to life in my mind: a pot pie filled with a sticky sweet and tangy chicken and vegetable medley (inspired by chinese american sesame chicken) and draped in a golden, sesame encrusted pastry.

when i laid my eyes on the recipe however, i was met with something quite a bit different. i had a strong, incredibly dramatic reaction; not dissimilar to what happens when you take a sip of what you think is water and it’s milk. or coffee. know what i mean? anyways, after recovering from my shock, i wrote myself a note to develop the pot pie meets sesame chicken mash-up that had just been sparked into existence.

during my initial research and testing phase earlier this year, i decided to combine the favor profiles from two of the most popular chinese american dishes: sesame chicken and orange chicken. i think the flavors are quite similar already—both focused on the sweet, tangy aspects of the sauce—and i loved the idea of integrating fresh orange juice and star anise, while still keeping a major focus on the sesame seeds. i added vegetables that i have grown up eating and seeing in the various versions of these dishes: red bell pepper, onion, broccoli and peas.

not the best photos, but i think you get the point

the chicken is obviously not breaded or fried as is typical of sesame and orange chicken, but i think the pastry still lends a similar texture and richness that makes it just as enjoyable to eat. it feels perfectly suited to “cozy season” (a term i promise i will never use again) because there’s just something undeniably comforting about breaking through a buttery crust and spooning up steamy, saucy pot pie. i hope you enjoy this one as much as i do!

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this time last year:

roasted red pepper and tomato soup with chunky chorizo-y croutons

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sesame chicken pot pie

serves 4

for the filling

1 yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger

1 small orange (about the size of a baseball, substitute: 3 tablespoons orange juice)

1 head broccoli, stems and florets (around 400 grams)

1 red bell pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 whole star anise (optional)

2 dried red chilis (optional, substitute: 1 teaspoon chili flakes)

100 grams frozen peas

3 tablespoons all purpose flour or cornstarch

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

300 ml chicken broth (substitute: vegetable broth)

2 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons light soy sauce, plus more to taste

300 grams cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1 teaspoon ground white pepper (substitute: ground black pepper), plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon msg (optional)

for the pastry

1 sheet fridge-thawed puff pastry (substitute: 1 pie crust)

1 tablespoon heavy cream (substitute: whisked egg yolk with some water [egg wash])

4 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. peel and thinly slice onion, garlic and ginger. zest and juice orange, removing and discarding any seeds. chop broccoli into bite sized pieces. core, deseed and chop bell pepper.

2. add butter to a 26 cm/10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat; if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, use any similar size oven safe skillet or cook the filling in a frying pan or pot and transfer it to any 3 quart baking dish before topping with the crust and baking. once melted, add onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, dried chili and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. add broccoli and bell pepper and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally (be slow and gentle, the skillet will be pretty full at first), until just crisp-tender, about 8 - 10 minutes.

4. preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. add frozen peas and mix to combine until the peas are warmed through. add flour and cook out for at least 1 minute. add vinegar, orange juice and zest and use your spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan. add chicken broth, ketchup and soy sauce and let cook until the sauce is bubbling and looks thick, about 2 more minutes.

5. remove the skillet from the heat. add the chicken, white pepper and msg and gently mix through. remove and discard the star anise and red chilis. taste and season with more salt, pepper and soy sauce as desired.

6. on a clean work surface, gently roll out the puff pastry until about 0.6cm/1/4-inch thick. brush the entire pastry with the cream, then sprinkle generously with the sesame seeds. fold into quarters with the sesame side in and transfer to the skillet. unfold and trim to the edges of the skillet or just tuck the sides in a little bit so there’s no waste.

7. use a sharp knife to pierce a few slits into the center to let steam escape while baking, then bake for about 35 minutes or until the pastry and sesame seeds are golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling up through the slits and around the edges. remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.