Chicken Pot Pie (AIP)

Feeding one person on AIP while everyone else at the table eats normally is its own kind of tiring, and pot pie is a good place to close that gap for a night. Cassava flour holds a biscuit together the way wheat does, crust and all, and nobody needs to know the difference unless you tell them.

The carrots and celery cook down slowly in that gravy, long past the point of just adding flavor, and they leave behind quercetin, a plant compound some research ties to a calmer inflammatory response. It is a small thing sitting quietly inside a very ordinary-looking dinner.

Let the biscuit topping go properly golden before it comes out, and give it the 5 minutes to rest that the recipe asks for. That patience is most of what makes the crust hold together when you cut into it.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, lard, or other AIP-friendly cooking fat
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 celery rib, diced
• Salt, to taste
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/4 cup cassava flour
• 2 cups bone broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

For the biscuit topping:

• 1 cup cassava flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup lard or palm shortening
• 1/2 cup water

Method

Cook the vegetables: Preheat your oven to 375 F. Heat the fat in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.

Build the filling: Sprinkle the cassava flour over the cooked vegetables and stir well to coat everything evenly. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the bone broth gradually, stirring as you go to keep the sauce smooth and lump-free. Add the dried thyme and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the filling thickens to a gravy consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken and taste for salt. Remove from heat.

Make the biscuit topping: In a bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the lard or palm shortening and work it into the flour with your fingers or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse, uneven crumbs. Add the water and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork it.

Assemble and bake: Drop the biscuit dough in spoonfuls across the top of the filling, covering the surface as evenly as you can. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the biscuit topping is golden and cooked through and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from Gutsy By Nature*