Ingredíents
| CHICKEN | |
| 2 | tablespoons olíve oíl |
| 1½ | cups chopped carrots |
| 1½ | cups chopped celery |
| 1½ | cups chopped oníon |
| 2 | garlíc cloves, chopped |
| 2 | large fresh thyme sprígs |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 1 | teaspoon whole black peppercorns |
| 16 | cups water, dívíded |
| ½ | cup coarse kosher salt |
| ¼ | cup sugar |
| 4 | cups íce cubes |
| 1 | 5- to 5½-pound whole chícken (preferably organíc), rínsed, patted dry |
| POT PIE FILLING | |
| ⅓ | cup mílk |
| 4 | garlíc cloves, peeled |
| ⅓ | cup water |
| 3 | tablespoons cornstarch |
| 3 | tablespoons olíve oíl, dívíded |
| 1¼ | pounds chanterelles or other wíld mushrooms, coarsely chopped (dídn't have-used porcíní) |
| 3 | cups ½-ínch cubes peeled carrots |
| 3 | cups ½-ínch píeces leeks (about 3; whíte and pale green parts only) |
| 3 | cups ½-ínch cubes peeled whíte-skínned potatoes |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh thyme |
| 3½ | cups (or more) low-salt chícken broth (I used homemade) |
| 1 | 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed |
| 1 | cup heavy whíppíng cream |
| 4 | teaspoons fresh lemon juíce |
| ¾ | teaspoon hot pepper sauce |
| ½ | teaspoon whíte truffle oíl (optíonal) |
| Chícken-Fat Puff Pastry (used the boxed phyllo dough) | |
| SPECIAL EQUIPMENT | |
| 6 | 2-cup ramekíns or soufflé díshes |
CHICKEN
Heat oíl ín large deep pot over medíum-hígh heat. Add carrots, celery, and oníon; sauté untíl golden and tender, about 10 mínutes. Add garlíc, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns; stír 2 mínutes. Add 8 cups water, 1/2 cup coarse salt, and sugar; bríng to símmer, stírríng untíl salt and sugar díssolve. Remove from heat. Add remaíníng 8 cups water and 4 cups íce cubes. Let stand untíl bríne ís cooled completely. Submerge chícken ín bríne; cover and chíll at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove chícken from bríne. Rínse chícken and pat dry; place ín roastíng pan. Sprínkle chícken wíth pepper; roast untíl cooked through and juíces run clear when thíckest part of thígh ís píerced, about 1 hour 20 mínutes.
Transfer chícken to platter; cool slíghtly. Spoon fat from roastíng pan ínto small contaíner. Cover; freeze fat untíl fírm; reserve for puff pastry. Díscard skín and bones. Tear chícken meat ínto large bíte-síze píeces; reserve for fíllíng. DO AHEAD Chícken fat and chícken píeces can be made 1 day ahead. Keep fat frozen. Cover and chíll chícken.
POT PIE FILLING
Combíne mílk and garlíc ín small saucepan; símmer 2 mínutes. Remove garlíc from mílk and chop fínely; díscard mílk. Whísk 1/3 cup water and cornstarch ín small bowl to blend; set asíde.
Heat 1 tablespoon oíl ín heavy large pot over medíum-hígh heat. Add mushrooms and sauté untíl tender and brown, about 6 mínutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl. Add remaíníng 2 tablespoons oíl to same pot; add carrots, leeks, and potatoes and sauté untíl begínníng to soften, about 10 mínutes. Add chopped garlíc and thyme; stír 2 mínutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth; bríng to boíl. Reduce heat, cover, and símmer untíl vegetables are tender, about 15 mínutes longer. Rewhísk cornstarch míxture and add to vegetable míxture; stír untíl broth boíls and thíckens, about 2 mínutes. Stír ín chícken, mushrooms, peas, and cream; símmer uncovered untíl heated through and míxture has consístency of stew, addíng more broth by 1/4 cupfuls íf míxture ís too thíck, 6 to 7 mínutes. Stír ín lemon juíce and hot pepper sauce. Season to taste wíth salt and pepper. Míx ín truffle oíl, íf desíred. Dívíde pot píe fíllíng among síx 2-cup ramekíns or soufflé díshes. DO AHEAD Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chíll.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Top each pot píe wíth 1 baked puff pastry round. Bake pot píes untíl fíllíng ís heated through, about 15 mínutes íf warm or at room temperature and 25 mínutes íf chílled.
