curl up in it

pc. Joyce

This craving had been a long time coming. Mostly because several different people kept saying "pot pie" and my brain is easily influenced. Planting a seed in the mush inside this skull is disconcertingly easy. I thought my childhood dreams and fantasies would be fulfilled when we went to Half Dome and Jennie brought a pack of frozen Marie Callender's chicken pot pies. And I thought longingly about that pie the entire 18-20 mile hike. And it was... fine. Not quite as comforting I remembered. Soupier than I remembered...

And the last time I actually made pot pie for myself was a couple years ago. So when I brought home a rotisserie from Costco, I knew it was time to properly feed this craving.

In a very untraditional way.
Absolutely loaded with cruciferous veggies (because fuck that soupy MC's mess) and not carrots/celery/peas because it's what I had. Seasoned with warm Sichuan spices (because obviously). The end result was honestly the best thing I've eaten this quarantine season. Okay that feels bold - maybe best thing this month... but it was really fucking good, despite the pale top crust (which was more because I was too lazy to crack an egg open for a proper egg wash). It was still steaming when Joyce and I dug into it on the front porch on a particularly cold and windy evening, so needless to say it was perfect. I ate the rest of it after tucking myself in bed.

chili cruciferous chicken pot pie

crust

recipe and process from The Artful Baker

filling

two breasts of rotisserie chicken, shredded

mushrooms, sliced

Brussels, quartered

broccoli florets

half onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

reserved chicken fat

Sichuan spice mix (cumin, coriander, fennel, white pepper, sichuan peppercorn)

2c cheese rind broth (made from collected rinds of hard cheeses over years)

2c milk

2T cornstarch + 2T water

chili oil
S&P

-sweat onions in chicken fat (or butter, or oil) and S&P until golden and sweet. add garlic.
-meanwhile, roast broccoli and Brussels at 400F for 30min.
-add mushrooms to onions and cook em down, season with generous amount Sichuan spice mix.
-pour in rind (or chicken) broth and milk, bring to simmer. add in cornstarch slurry.
-mix in roasted veggies when done. mix in shredded chicken.
-bonus points: stir in gelatinous bits from rotisserie chicken.
-add chili oil to taste.

-scoop filling into prepared bottom crusts, cover with top crust.
-bake 20-30min at 400F.