Chicken Pot Pie Filling

Since Sunday was Pi Day, the hubby and I baked out little hearts out. This year we decided to include a savory option (something suggested by a friend last year) and opted for pot pie.

This recipe is from Manager A Trois, adapted slightly for the hubby and I.

Ingredients
3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light cream
2 tablespoons sherry
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste
1 medium onion
5 handfuls baby carrots
4 celery stalks
1 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions
CHOP onion, carrots, and celery into small pieces, to your preference

MELT 4 tbs butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat.
ADD flour, WHISK until smooth.
COOK, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.
REMOVE from the heat.

ADD chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
ADD in light cream and whisk.

INCREASE heat to medium.
RETURN saucepan to the heat
BRING the mixture just to a simmer, whisking constantly to break up any clumps
SIMMER, stirring, for 1 minute.

STIR in chicken and sherry.
COOK for one minute more.
REMOVE from heat.
SEASON taste with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
SET ASIDE

HEAT 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
ADD onion, carrots, and celery.
SAUTE until the vegetables have released their water and are just tender, about 5-10 minutes. DRAIN vegetables.
RETURN to pan.
ADD peas and creamed chicken.
CHECK seasoning, add more salt and pepper if necessary.

My Thoughts
1. We chopped our ingredients fairly fine, about 1/4" in diameter

2. I eyeballed our seasoning, but I will take a guess and say I added:
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3. I was a bit worried I had ruined it when I tasted it after the nutmeg and after the lemon juice, but the flavors mellowed a bit during cooking and in the end added a subtle (and nice) tang to the final filling.

4. I actually forgot to add the sherry the first time around (oops), so I added it, then brought the whole mixture back to a simmer and then cooked for another minute, after having added the spices. This may have helped mellow it out a bit.

5. I was afraid this would be picky, like gravy, with all of the stirring and whisking, but the recipe is rather forgiving (and doesn't take 20 min of straight stirring, hurrah!).