A trip to the new Cellar 152 Wine & Gourmet Market in Elk Rapids for a grab-and-go meal (or to eat at their rustic wine bar overlooking the Elk River!) can make a gray winter day feel festive. Jordan Hubbard is the man behind the food—an earthy, sensual cross between American and French country home cooking. Jordan graduates next year from the Great Lakes Culinary Institute of Northwestern Michigan College. In the meantime, he’s rolling out A+ food at Cellar 152 in Elk Rapids.
Chicken Pot Pie
Makes approximately two, 8-inch-round, 2-inch-deep pies.
Brining and Roasting the Chicken
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine the ingredients in a large soup pot. Immerse the chicken in the brine for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse to remove excess salt and sugar. Lay the chicken breasts on a baking sheet or cooking pan and roast at 325 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
Pot Pie
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup butter
- 11/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups brined, roasted and cubed chicken
- 1 cup carrots, diced and boiled 5 minutes
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 ounces chopped mushrooms
- 2 medium potatoes, diced and boiled 5 minutes
- 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Warm chicken stock in a saucepan. In a large Dutch oven melt butter, add olive oil and sauté onions for 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook two more minutes, stirring constantly. Add hot chicken stock. Simmer for 1 minute. Add salt, pepper and heavy cream. Add chicken, carrots, peas, mushrooms and potatoes and mix well. Ladle mixture into a large baking dish. Cut pastry sheets 1 inch larger than dish, lay on top, flute.
In a separate bowl, beat egg well with a fork and add water to make an egg wash. Brush over pastry crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.