The American classic, rebuilt with real ingredients: pasture-raised chicken, leeks, carrots, celery, and shiitake mushrooms slowly cooked in duck fat with thyme, rosemary, and tarragon, in a creamy bone broth sauce, under a buttery grain-free crust.
Yield: Serves 6–8 (one 9-inch deep pie dish or 9×13 baking dish) · Active: 45 min · Total: 1 hour 30 minutes · October through March, when leeks, root vegetables, and mushrooms are at their best · Cuisine: American, with French roots · Best eaten: early evening
The crust uses three grain-free flours, each with its own job: almond flour for richness, coconut flour for tenderness, and cassava flour for the stretch that lets the dough roll out and hold together. Prefer something simpler? The coconut flour crust below needs just four ingredients.
If you roast a whole chicken for this, save the bones for your next pot of bone broth. Nothing goes to waste.
Ingredients
Filling
3–4 cups cooked pasture-raised chicken, shredded or chopped (see the chicken options below)
2 tbsp duck fat (or grass-fed butter or ghee)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 leeks, white and pale green parts, halved lengthwise, sliced, and rinsed well
3 carrots, chopped (rainbow carrots are lovely)
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or wild mushrooms)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped (or 1 tsp dried)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
Optional: ¼ cup dry sherry or white wine (or 1 tbsp lemon juice, for alcohol-free)
1 cup chicken bone broth
½ cup grass-fed heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk, for dairy-free)
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt and ½ tsp black pepper
Thickener (choose one)
Arrowroot: 2 tbsp arrowroot powder whisked into ¼ cup cold bone broth (the easiest)
Gelatin: 2 tbsp grass-fed gelatin bloomed in ¼ cup cold bone broth for 5 minutes (adds collagen)
Reduction: Simmer the broth until reduced by half, and let the cream thicken it (no added thickener)
Optional vegetables
1 cup cauliflower or broccoli florets, blanched 2 minutes and drained
1 cup chopped kale or Swiss chard
1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 cup asparagus tips (in spring)
1 cup diced potato or sweet potato, boiled until tender
Three-flour crust
1 cup blanched almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour, sifted
¼ cup cassava flour, sifted, plus more for rolling
3–4 tbsp grass-fed butter, melted (or coconut oil)
2 pasture-raised eggs
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Optional: 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Egg wash
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp cream or water
To finish
Fresh thyme sprigs, flaky salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
The Chicken: Three Options
Quick: Use a pasture-raised rotisserie chicken with no added “natural flavors,” dextrose, or phosphates.
Browned thighs (the most flavor): Season 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs with salt, and sear in 1 tbsp duck fat over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes per side, until deep golden and they reach 175°F. Let them cool, then chop. The browned bits left in the pan add depth to the filling, so cook the vegetables in the same pan.
Whole bird: Roast a 3–4 lb pasture-raised chicken at 425°F for 50–60 minutes, until the thigh reaches 175°F. Rest 15 minutes, then shred the meat (about 4 cups), and save the bones for broth.
Method
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Soften the vegetables. Melt the duck fat in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt, and cook 8–10 minutes, until soft and just starting to turn golden.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, and herbs. Add the mushrooms, and cook 4–5 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and half the tarragon, and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Deglaze (optional). Add the sherry or wine, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer 2 minutes, until mostly evaporated.
Add the broth and thicken. Pour in the broth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in your thickener (arrowroot or gelatin), and simmer 2–3 minutes, until it thickens into a silky gravy. If you’re using the reduction method, simmer 8–10 minutes, until the broth reduces by half.
Add the cream. Stir in the cream and nutmeg, and simmer 2–3 minutes more. Fold in any optional vegetables and the chicken, and warm through.
Finish. Stir in the lemon zest, Dijon, and remaining tarragon. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour the filling into a 9-inch deep pie dish, deep cast iron skillet, or 9×13 dish.
Make the crust. Pulse the almond flour, coconut flour, cassava flour, butter, eggs, salt, and thyme in a food processor until it comes together into a soft dough, about 30 seconds. If it’s too dry, add 1 tbsp water; if too wet, add 1 tbsp almond flour.
Roll it out. Pat the dough into a disk, and roll it between two sheets of parchment (dust the bottom sheet with a little cassava flour) to about ¼ inch thick, slightly larger than your dish.
Top the pie. Peel off the top sheet of parchment, flip the dough onto the filling, and peel off the second sheet. Press the edges to seal, and trim the overhang. If it tears, just press it back together with damp fingers; almond flour dough is forgiving.
Decorate and vent. Cut leaves or crescents from the scraps, and lay them on top. Cut 3–4 small vents, and brush with the egg wash.
Bake on a sheet pan (to catch drips) for 30–40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. If the crust browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
Rest 10–15 minutes before serving, so the filling sets. Finish with fresh thyme, flaky salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Simple Coconut Flour Crust
A four-ingredient crust, a little more crumbly but just as buttery.
½ cup grass-fed butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 pasture-raised eggs, at room temperature
½ cup coconut flour
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Cassava flour, for rolling
Whisk the butter and eggs, then stir in the salt and coconut flour. The dough firms up as the coconut flour absorbs the liquid. Wrap it in parchment, and chill 20 minutes. Roll it out between two sheets of parchment dusted with cassava flour, and use it just like the three-flour crust.
Variations
Double crust: Double the crust. Press half into a deep 9-inch pie dish, and pre-bake it at 350°F for 10 minutes. Add the filling, top with the second crust, and bake 40–50 minutes.
Mini pot pies: Divide the filling among 6–8 ramekins, top each with a round of crust, and bake 25–30 minutes. They’re perfect for freezing.
Potato-topped (no crust): Top the filling with thin slices of potato or sweet potato, brushed with olive oil and salt. Bake at 400°F for 35–40 minutes, until tender and golden.
Potato cream (no added thickener): Boil 2 medium yellow potatoes until tender, then blend with 1 cup hot bone broth until silky. Use it instead of the thickener and cream.
Mushroom-forward: Use 2 cups mixed mushrooms, browning them well first.
Golden spiced broth: Simmer the broth with 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp coriander, and ¼ tsp cumin.
Dairy-free: Use duck fat or coconut oil instead of butter, coconut milk instead of cream, and coconut oil in the crust.
Other proteins: leftover turkey, duck, pheasant, or lamb shoulder.
By season:
Fall: mushrooms, parsnips, and butternut squash
Winter: mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and kale
Spring: asparagus, peas, and leeks, with extra tarragon
Summer: peas, chard, and fresh fava beans
Serve It With
A bright, simple salad, like arugula with shaved fennel, sliced pear, toasted walnuts, and a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, to balance the rich pie. For a gathering, add a board of aged cheeses and cured meats, and finish with my Chamomile Cake with Berries or Blueberry Cheesecake.
Storage
Refrigerator: up to 4 days. It’s even better the next day.
Freezer: up to 3 months, wrapped well. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
To reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven, loosely covered with foil for the first 15 minutes: about 20–25 minutes for a whole pie, or 12–15 minutes for a slice. The oven keeps the crust crisp; the microwave makes it soggy.
Make ahead: Assemble the pie in the morning, refrigerate, and bake before dinner, adding 10 minutes to the bake time.
Meal prep: Slice into portions, and refrigerate or freeze them for easy weeknight dinners.
A note on raw dairy: If you use raw cream, it’s no longer raw once simmered. It still brings its rich flavor and fat-soluble vitamins.
Nourishment Notes
Pasture-raised chicken — complete protein, B vitamins, selenium, and choline. Dark thigh meat brings more iron and zinc than breast meat.
Bone broth — gelatin, glycine, and minerals, which support the gut lining and restful sleep. Homemade broth that gels in the fridge is the sign of a collagen-rich broth.
Duck fat — about 50% monounsaturated fat (similar to olive oil), with a high smoke point and rich flavor.
Leeks, onions, and garlic — prebiotic fiber, quercetin, and allicin.
Carrots — beta-carotene, better absorbed with the fat in the sauce.
Shiitake mushrooms — B vitamins, copper, selenium, and lentinan, a beta-glucan studied for supporting the immune system.
Thyme, rosemary, and tarragon — thymol, rosmarinic acid, and carnosic acid, aromatic compounds studied for their antioxidant effects. Tarragon has long been used to ease digestion.
Cream — vitamins A, D, E, and K2, especially from grass-fed cows.
Almond flour — vitamin E, magnesium, and healthy fats.
Pasture-raised eggs — choline, lutein, and vitamins A, D, and B12.
As a seasonal food, this is cold-weather comfort at its best: warm, grounding, and complete in one dish, with protein, fat, vegetables, and broth. Make it when the days are short and a slow Sunday in the kitchen feels right.
For your cycle: Warm, grounding, and rich in protein, minerals, and gelatin, this is especially comforting in the late luteal phase and during your period.
Sourcing
Chicken — pasture-raised, ideally heritage breed, from a local farm, White Oak Pastures, or Cooks Venture; if using rotisserie, pasture-raised, with no “natural flavors” or added phosphates
Bone broth — homemade from pasture-raised chicken bones, or Bonafide Provisions or Kettle & Fire
Duck fat — rendered from pasture-raised ducks, in glass (or save your own after roasting a duck)
Onions, leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms — organic, from a farmers’ market or CSA
Fresh herbs — organic, from a farmers’ market or your windowsill; look for French tarragon
Heavy cream — organic and grass-fed, vat-pasteurized or raw (avoid ultra-pasteurized)
Coconut milk (optional) — organic and full-fat, with no gums, like Native Forest Simple
Grass-fed butter — organic, from 100% grass-fed cows
Eggs — organic and pasture-raised, from a local farm or Alexandre Family Farm
Almond flour — organic, blanched, and finely ground (keep it in the fridge)
Coconut flour — organic, like Terrasoul or Coconut Secret
Cassava flour — organic, like Otto’s Naturals (not tapioca starch, which is different)
Arrowroot — organic
Gelatin — grass-fed, like Great Lakes
Dijon mustard — organic, like Delouis Fils or Maison Orphée
Whole nutmeg — organic, grated fresh
Dry sherry or white wine (optional) — organic
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; fleur de sel or Maldon for finishing
— Anna aka Food Marshall