Recipe - Gumbo Pot Pies

1 Whole; (2 1/2pound) chicken
2 qt Water
1 Onion; quartered
2 Bay leaves
One fourth cup Allpurpose flour
One fourth cup Vegetable oil
1 Mediumsize green bell
pepper; chopped
1 md Onion; chopped
2 Garlic cloves; pressed
1 pound Fresh or frozen okra; cut
into 3/4inch slices
1 cn (10ounce) whole tomatoes
and green chiles
One half teaspoon Dried thyme
One half pound Unpeeled mediumsize fresh
shrimp
One half pack (17 1/4ounce) frozen puff
pastry; thawed
1 lg Egg; lightly beaten

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat,
and simmer 1 hour or until tender.

Remove chicken, reserving Three fourths cup broth; discard onion and bay leaves.
Cool. Skin, bone, and coarsely chop chicken; set aside.

Whisk together allpurpose flour and vegetable oil in Dutch oven; cook over
medium heat, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until roux is caramel
colored. Stir in chopped bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook 2 minutes.
Add cut or sliced up okra, tomatoes and chiles, dried thyme, and reserved Three fourths cup
chicken broth. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired. Add shrimp and 2 cups chopped chicken
to gumbo; cook 8 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat,
and cool slightly.

Roll out pastry sheet on a floured surface; cut into 4 ( 5inch) squares.
Return pastry to freezer for at least 15 minutes. Cut out decorative shapes
from excess pastry strips.

Ladle gumbo into 4 ovenproof soup bowls, filling threefourths full.

Place 1 pastry square over each bowl, pressing firmly to sides to seal
edges. Place decorative shapes on top of pastry. Brush pastry with egg.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve pot
pies with hot sauce, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Don't let the long list of ingredients prevent you from preparing
this lively twist on a Creole classic.

Recipe by: Southern Living 1997

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #1051 by Suzy Wert SuzyWert@aol.com on Jan
25, 1998