To make a piecrust; freeze, then grate 1 stick of salted butter using the large holes of a box grater.
-Measure 2 cups of white flour into a medium sized bowl.
-Toss the grated butter with the flour, then add the following:
½ cup cold water
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
-Mix together a little, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
-Press into a rough ball, handling as little as possible.
-Wrap in plastic then refrigerate.
To make chicken and stock; place one whole chicken in a large stockpot with a lid.
-Add water to cover and a carrot and any leftover fennel fronds and garlic peels you have.
-Add some black peppercorns and some rosemary or sage if you have any.
-Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and let the chicken simmer for 1 hour.
-Carefully remove the chicken and put it on a platter to cool.
-When cool enough to handle, take all the edible meat off the bones, then put the chicken carcass and skin back into the pot.
-Simmer partially covered for at least another hour, maybe 2.
-Let the stock cool for a while, then strain it.
For the filling; cut the following into bite sized pieces, about ½ inch in diameter…
4 carrots
2-3 new potatoes
A handful of snap peas
Some fennel
-Sauté the vegetables in 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil or butter until just a little soft, about 5-7 minutes.
-Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup sherry or white wine and then set the vegetables aside.
-Put half a stick of butter (¼ cup) into a small saucepan and melt it over medium heat.
-Add a heaping half cup of white flour to the butter and stir it in.
-Cook, stirring often for 3-5 minutes.
-Add ¼ cup sherry or white wine and mix well.
-Then add the hot chicken stock by the cupful; stirring in between each addition and letting it thicken up, you want to add about 5 cups of chicken stock in all.
-Then stir in ½ cup half and half or heavy cream and ½ tsp sea salt, the sautéed vegetables and black pepper to taste.
-Cut the reserved chicken into bite sized chunks and mix It in too.
To assemble; cut the cold pie dough roughly in half, but make one half a little bigger than the other.
-Sprinkle a pinch of flour on the counter and spread it into a circle.
-Place the larger dough half into the center of the flour, press into a circle and sprinkle a little more flour on top of it.
-Roll it out, flipping it every few rolls, adding more sprinkles of flour to keep it from sticking.
-When it is a little larger than your pie pan, carefully pick it up and slide it in the pie pan.
-Let the edges flop over, making sure there is about a 1-inch overhang all around.
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-Spoon in enough of the filling so that there is about ½ inch from the top of the pie pan.
-Repeat the rolling process with the other crust, though you don’t have to make it as big.
-Place the other crust on top of the filling, and make the bottom and top crust line up.
-Curl the bottom crust edge over the edge of the top crust, then crimp the edge by going all around the edge pie using your index finger on one hand the index finger and thumb on the other hand to form a scallop.
-Poke a few holes in the crust with the prongs of a fork, then bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
-Let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing it up.