Quick Chicken Pot Pies

Defrost pastry dough in fridge 2 hours before baking it off.

Preheat oven to 425˚F with rack at middle and line a large baking sheet with parchment. 

Heat a large skillet or braising pan over medium heat. Melt butter, and when it foams, add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, leeks, salt and pepper or white pepper, bay and thyme. Partially cover the pan and sweat 5 to 6 minutes to soften, then add flour and stir to combine. Whisk in the beer and reduce by about two-thirds to about one-half cup, then whisk in stock and thicken a minute, reduce heat to simmer/low, add cream or crème fraiche, combine into sauce, then add nutmeg to taste and stir in chicken. Gently heat chicken through and finish with lemon and mustard, remove bay.

Meanwhile, roll out dough on lightly floured work surface and cut the pastry to fit top of individual bowls (cut into rounds or rectangles that hang off the edges) or, leave sheet whole or cut into 6 even rectangular pieces to top a large 9 x 13 or 10 x 13 casserole dish. Vent your pieces of pastry with small slits at center or small cookie cutter cut-outs of hearts or circles or leaves. Arrange dough on parchment-lined sheet tray, then brush with egg wash and bake to golden all over and puffed. 

Top bowls or casserole of filling with pastry and serve.