Fen’s “Chicken” Pot Pie

Crust (2 batches)

6 potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

Chicken bouillon powder

Salt and pepper packets

Filling

2 handfuls arugula seed pods, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 fennel stalks, chopped

3 wild onions, diced

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed w/ ⅓ cup water to form a slurry

4 cups chicken broth

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram/rosemary

Pepper

Instructions

Make the “Crust”

1. Boil the potatoes. Drain, reserving the potato water.

2. Smash the cooked potatoes until smooth.

3. Add butter, chicken bouillon powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Make the filling

1. Add chicken powder to the potato water to make broth

2. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, sauté the celery, onion, and garlic. Add the fennel and sauté until bright green.

3. Add the chicken broth to the pan. Add herbs. Simmer 3–5 minutes.

4. Add cornstarch slurry and whisk thoroughly to thicken.

Assemble

5. Line a bowl with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Add filling, then top with mashed potatoes and sculpt into a crust shape. Optional, if there’s time (there’s not): toast the mashed potatoes on top with a hand torch.

  

A recipe card, typewritten on an index card, stapled to a torn sheet of notebook paper with a typewritten recipe on it. Both are weathered, torn, stained, and annotated. The card is on top of a stained white kitchen towel, next to a couple of burned and repaired wooden cooking spoons, some onion and lemon scraps, a scattering of rosemary, and a bent fork. Visible recipe text is as follows (all is typewritten unless otherwise indicated; see story text for recipe in full): Index card: Chicken Pot Pie (handwritten annotation reading “Mom’s”); Crust (2 batches); 2½ cups flour; Pinch of salt; 1 cup butter (handwritten annotation indicates these three ingredients should be mixed to form crumbs); 6 tablespoons water; Filling; 1 teaspoon garlic powder – handwritten annotation reading “or 1-2 cloves”; 2 chicken breasts roasted and shredded; Salt and pepper – hand-drawn arrow points up to the next column; Filling continued; 1 bag mixed frozen peas and carrots; 1 onion, diced; handwritten annotation reading “or 1 can pearl onions”; 3 stalks celery, chopped; 2 tablespoons flour; 2 tablespoons butter; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 teaspoon onion powder; (Several typing errors are scribbled out; handwritten annotation reading “1 tsp chopped fresh sage”); The index card overlaps the recipe page. The recipe visible on the page is as follows: 5. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Make the Filling (handwritten annotation indicates to do this while the crust is cooking.); 1. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, sauté the celery and onion. Handwritten note says “unless using pearl on.” Remove. 2. In the same skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until it stops bubbling. Add the flour and whisk thoroughly until there are no lumps. Stir until golden brown. 3. Add the chicken broth to the pan. Whisk thoroughly until well-combined. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, and plenty of black pepper. (Handwritten annotation reads “+ sage!”); 4. Add the cooked vegetables (handwritten annotation reads “^or 1 can pearl onions”) and the frozen vegetables. Stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce thickens into a gravy. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded chicken.
; 7. Pour the filling into the blind-baked crust. Top with the rolled-out unbaked crust. Cut slits in the top to vent steam. Bake until golden and flaky on top, 35–45 minutes.
; Below the recipe, a typing error is scribbled out. A handwritten note in different handwriting from the recipe annotations, in red marker, reads: “Happy birthday, D. Meet us @ the Rosemary Patch. Heart, MQFH”