Chicken pot pie

Pulse the all purpose flour, cake flour, salt and cubed chilled butter in a food processor five to six times in half second clicks to break up the butter.

Add the chilled shortening, turn the machine on and pour in the half cup of ice water, then pulse two to three times.

Feel the dough: it should be small lumps that hold together when pressed into a mass.

Finish by pushing egg-sized clumps out in six inch smears with the heel of the hand, then form a smooth pliable cake.

Wrap in plastic, bag it and chill two hours.

Cut the carrots, leeks and celery into one and a half inch julienne slices.

Break the chicken down into eight pieces, pat dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Melt butter and oil half and half in the Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the vegetables, pepper, a little salt, a quarter teaspoon of dried tarragon and a bay leaf.

Bury the chicken in the vegetables, add the chicken broth and enough white wine and more broth to cover.

Cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until the thighs run clear juices when pressed.

Heat off, rest 10 to 15 minutes to pick up more flavour.

Skim the fat and scum off, remove the bay leaf.

Lift out the chicken, skin it and pull the meat off the bones with two forks, keeping the bones for stock.

Strain the vegetables out and degrease the broth further in a fat separator.

In a clean pan cook four tablespoons of butter with five tablespoons of flour over medium heat for two minutes without browning.

Whisk in the hot cooking liquid in a steady stream, then simmer three minutes.

It would not thicken, so add another three tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of butter and whisk until it coats the back of a spoon.

Combine the chicken and vegetables in a large bowl with drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce through a strainer onto the chicken and vegetables to catch the flour clumps.

Optionally thin with up to half a cup of heavy cream.

Fill the deep dish pie dish with equal amounts of vegetables, chicken and sauce.

Roll the pastry a quarter inch thick and half an inch wider than the rim of the dish.

Lay it over, crimp the edge, water the pastry cut-outs and stick them on, and drag a fork across the top for pattern.

Brush with a full egg beaten with a little water.

Bake at 375F for 35 to 40 minutes; it is done when it bubbles through the vent hole.

Finish under the broiler for colour if the top is still pale.