Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of Mom's classics.  It was one of her submissions in "Happy Cooking," the Covina Ward Cookbook of 1965.

One whole chicken (4 lbs.) or 4 lbs. of bone-in chicken breasts
1 Tbls. salt
1 stalks celery

1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced in half
3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 cups peeled and diced carrots
1 cup cooked peas
7 Tbls. butter
7 Tbls. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp.  worcestershire sauce
dash nutmeg
pinch tarragon
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken broth

Place chicken in a large stock pot and fill with water just until chicken is covered.  Add salt, celery, bay leaf, and onion.  Cover and heat until almost boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.  While chicken cooks, prepare and cook potatoes, carrots, and peas.  (I usually cook the diced potatoes and carrots together in boiling water, then add frozen peas in for the last few minutes of cooking).  Remove chicken, reserving 2 cups of the broth.  Remove chicken meat from bones and cut into bite size pieces.  Place chicken and vegetables in a deep 9 x 13 pan (or use a shallow 10 x 14) Sprinkle with salt.  On medium-high heat, melt butter in a large frying pan.  Add the flour and mix with a fork.  Slowly add the milk and chicken broth, stirring constantly to remove lumps.  Cook the milk/broth sauce until thickened.  Add pepper, worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, and tarragon.
Pour over chicken & vegetables.  Top with your favorite biscuit or pie dough.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.