Aaron in the Kitchen

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Olive oil: 4 tablespoons
Large yellow onion: 1 whole onion
Fresh garlic: 5 cloves
Small carrots: 5 whole carrots (not baby carrots)
Vodka: 1 splash (The chef's secret flavor trick to enhance the sweetness of the onions and garlic)

Whole chicken: 1 chicken, fully cooked and pulled completely off the bone (A store-bought rotisserie chicken can be substituted to save time)
Frozen green peas: 1 cup
Homemade butter pie crust: 1 complete recipe (double crust for base and top)

Place your Instant Pot inner liner into the unit and turn on the Sauté function.
Measure and pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil directly into the bottom of the hot pot.
Peel and chop your large yellow onion, 5 garlic cloves, and 5 small carrots into uniform, rustic pieces.
Drop the onions, garlic, and carrots straight into the hot oil. Stir continuously to let the vegetables sweat, soften, and develop a beautiful color.

Pour a generous splash of vodka directly over the hot, frying garlic and onions.
Keep stirring as the alcohol cooks out entirely. The heat strips away the harsh alcohol elements, meaning you will not taste vodka in the finished pie; instead, it leaves behind an incredibly sweet, enhanced bite on your aromatics.

Dust 40 grams of all-purpose flour evenly over the glistening, cooked vegetables. Stir aggressively to coat the vegetables in the oil and flour paste before introducing any main liquids. This builds a French-style thickening base called a roux.
Slowly pour in 500 ml of chicken broth.
Crucial Instant Pot Hack: Grab a wooden cooking spoon or spatula and aggressively scrape up any caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the liner pan while pouring the broth. Cleaning the bottom surface ensures your machine will not trigger a frustrating "Burn Notice" message later.
Notice how instantly thick and glossy the broth becomes as it binds with the floured vegetables.
Stream 150 ml of milk or heavy cream into the thick mixture, stirring to let the liquids merge into an ultra-creamy sauce texture.

Pull all the meat off your cooked whole chicken, discarding the bones and skin.
Drop the massive pile of shredded chicken pieces directly into the simmering cream sauce. Using a high volume of a whole chicken ensures that every single bite of your final deep-dish pie is packed with satisfying meat rather than just empty gravy.

Bring the meat and sauce mixture to a gentle simmer.
Dust your heavy spice profile evenly across the entire surface of the thick chicken filling: add 1 generous tablespoon of Slap Ya Mama, 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning, 2 tablespoons of onion powder, and 1 tablespoon of white pepper.
Follow with 2 tablespoons of Tajín, 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes (add more if you enjoy a kick of heat), 1 tablespoon of your preferred grocery store grill seasoning, and 1 tablespoon of smoked seasoning.
Conclude the seasoning with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. Stir the dense mixture thoroughly from the bottom up to integrate the spices, and perform a quick taste-check before moving to the final assembly.

Measure out 1 cup of frozen green peas and dump them directly into the seasoned chicken pot. Fold them in gently so they scatter evenly throughout the thick filling.
Turn off the Instant Pot sauté function completely.
Set your standard kitchen oven or countertop mini oven to preheat to a high temperature of 218°C (425°F).

Roll out your homemade butter pie crust dough flat. Lay the bottom crust shell securely into a deep-dish pie pan or baking form.
Ladle the incredibly thick, richly seasoned chicken filling straight into the raw pastry shell.
Drape the second sheet of butter crust over the top of the filling. Crimp the edges together tightly to seal the juices inside, and cut a few small slits in the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape while baking.
Slide the assembled deep-dish pie into your preheated oven at 218°C (425°F).
Bake at this high temperature for an initial baking window to crisp the outer pastry layer.
After that initial sear, immediately turn the oven dial down to a lower setting of 175°C (350°F).
Leave the pie inside to bake continuously at this lower temperature for a remaining baking window to let the center set completely.
Remove the finished pie from the oven when the top crust turns beautifully flaky, crisp, and golden-brown. Let the dish sit until the thick cream gravy cools and sets up before slicing into satisfying wedges. Serve hot.