Chicken pot pie

Thinly slice the celery and carrots and chop the onion. Mince the garlic or press it. Strip and chop the thyme leaves.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook about five minutes, stirring frequently, until the carrots are slightly softened.

Sprinkle in the flour, mix to coat everything and cook it in the butter about two minutes.

Drizzle in the warmed chicken broth while stirring, then the warmed heavy cream; cold liquid does not mix into hot flour as well.

Stir in the salt, black pepper and thyme. Reduce to low, bring to a simmer and cook two to five minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Add the chicken and the frozen peas and mix through.

Variation: half a cup of cocktail onions added with the chicken, or sliced leeks sautéed in with the onion.

Turn the filling into a bowl, spread it toward the edge so it cools faster and let it come to room temperature. It may be prepared a day ahead.

Heat the oven to 425F. Flour the work surface and roll one round of pastry into a 12 inch circle, keeping the pastry moving and flouring the rolling pin.

Roll the pastry up and lay it into a deep dish nine inch pie pan, easing it in without pressing down, which would rip it and make it contract in the oven.

Roll the second round for the top. Add the room temperature filling to the crust and smooth it level.

Variation: bake the filling in ramekins with a separately baked lattice or round of puff pastry set on top just before serving, which avoids a soggy bottom.

Lay the top crust over, trim to about an inch of excess, tuck the crust under and crimp with thumbs and index finger.

Brush the top with heavy cream, cut vent slits and sprinkle with flaked salt.

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 425F for 20 minutes, then reduce to 350F and bake a further 40 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool until just warm before slicing.

Reduce the oven to 350F and bake 40 minutes more.