Chicken & Biscuits 🐔 ❄️

This is a near-copy of a recipe of the well-known cookbook author, who is our generation’s Julia Child.  I changed a few things, added some heat and woke up the biscuits with cheese and herbs. This is a winner — from fall to early spring — and great for casual lunches or dinner parties.  I always make sure there is one biscuit for every guest and it’s always better to have more than less.  I call this series BTI, better than Ina.  I am a big fan of her work. But for me, it’s taking her already-great recommendations and ‘turning up the volume’ even louder.

When the vegetarians come knocking, I will take some of the mix that has everything other than chicken, put in a small making dish and add some Yukon gold potatoes that I have chopped into one inch blocks and cooked in a buttered skillet for 10 minutes until brown.  Salt and pepper the potatoes and mix with the stew.  The spice of the dish — and this vegetarian version — moved a soon-to-be mother, who was a few days past her due date, into labor.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 whole skinless chicken breasts, that have been seasoned with kosher salt for at least three hours in advance (refrigerate on a baking sheet)
• Olive oil
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tablespoons of butter
• 3 cups of chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 tablespoon of red  pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 2 cups medium diced carrots that have been blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 10 oz package of frozen peas
• 1/2 pound of back that has been cut into 1/2 inch thick strips and then cut into 1/4 in cubes, roasted until crisp
• 3 cups of frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• Biscuits

Making It

• Set oven to 375
• Place the chicken breasts on a 1/2 baking sheet, rub a little olive oil and salt and pepper them.  Roast 35-45 minutes. Let them cool and chop into 1-inch chunks.
• Boil water, blanch the chopped carrots for two minutes, before placing into an ice bath.  No, not a real bath 🚿, but a bowl of ice water to stop the from cooking.
• Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and add the bouillons until dissolved.
• Make a batch of the biscuits, but bake for only 7 minutes, you will finish them off cooking in the stew at the end.
• Take the dutch oven and over a medium flame, melt the butter and quickly add the onions after the butter is melted. Add red pepper flakes and thyme and sauté the onions for to minutes or until they are translucent.
• Turn the flame down to medium-low heat and add flour.  Stir in with a wooden spoon and do so constantly for two minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and stir for another minute.  It should become a thick consistency.
• Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper, chopped chives and heavy cream.
• Add the chicken, bacon, carrots, peas, onions and mix well.
• Bake in the over for 15 minutes and take out, adding the partially-cooked biscuits and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

If you like this but REALLY want to turn up the heat on this dish then try our very own Curried Chicken Pot Pie with Herbed Puff Pastry