After arriving in the kitchen, Pomona tied on an apron and began cooking.
Every year at Hogwarts' opening feast, there was always one dish that both students and teachers loved.
First, she took boneless chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Then she diced the onions and celery.
She added a large chunk of butter to the pan, followed by olive oil. She seared the chicken until its surface turned golden, then added the onions and celery to the chicken fat along with three bay leaves. Once the onions had browned slightly as well, she added flour, then chicken stock and the chicken, and let it stew for half an hour.
She had to stir continuously while cooking, then add tarragon leaves until the rich aroma emerged.
At that point, she fried mushrooms in butter until their surfaces browned, added them to the stewed chicken, then stirred in cream. That was the filling.
Since pie pastry required butter, and butter melted quickly upon contact with body heat, affecting its texture after baking, Pomona generally used magic for this step.
Before placing the finished pastry in the mold to bake, she brushed it with a layer of oil to keep it from sticking. Then she added the filling, wove strips of pastry into a lattice over the top, and baked it for forty minutes until it was fully cooked.
Then came the taste-testing segment. This episode's guest was Professor Minerva McGonagall. After cutting into the chicken pie and taking a bite, she instantly "froze with happiness."
"Well?" Pomona asked expectantly.
"How much butter did you use?" Minerva asked, setting down her fork.
"Twenty percent less than usual. I replaced it with olive oil," Pomona said with a smile. "I know olive oil is healthy."