Biscuit Topped Chicken Stew
January 2011: This is an update to my earlier recipe. This time the biscuits were perfect, but the gravy for the stew could have been a little thicker.
Note: On the topic of the vegetables, use about 2# of whatever root vegetables you have available. This time I used sweet potatoes, celeriac, the last of my unloved winter radishes, plus carrots.
Gravy: I didn't use wine this time because I wasn't going to open a bottle of wine for 1/4 cup. I would start with 2 cups of chicken broth. You can always add more if it seems to need it. I would use 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch and see if the gravy has the consistency you want.
I am adding my new biscuit recipe for baking on top of the stew. They came out perfect with baking them for 20 minutes and then adding the cheese. I think 5 minutes to melt the cheese might be enough.
I hesitated to post this recipe because it was not a success, but it has the potential to be very good. Since I want to try it again I decided to post it so I remember it for next year. The stew part was fine, the biscuits were way too soft and goopy. It called for too much buttermilk. I should have known better when I made the dough--but no, I put it on top of the stew. It turned into a sort of biscuit pie crust. I think dumplings would also work well.
We like a stew that is heavy with vegetables with a small amount of meat or poultry for flavor. This stew is very adaptable. You can use more or fewer vegetables, plus adding any you want to use up. For instance, I had one large sunchoke in my frig--into the pot. I also had about 1/4 of red pepper--same thing.
Another suggestion: I made this in February 2018 and used my earlier suggestions of 2 cups of broth and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. The sauce/gravy was just right! For the biscuits, I cheated and used biscuit mix (no not Bisquik) and made a full recipe. It made enough to cover the stew, especially as it baked and truthfully tasted about as good as the homemade ones. Just a suggestion, if you are in a hurry.
Biscuit-Topped Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 ribs celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 large chopped onion
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth (add more if needed)
2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves)
1 bay leaf
2-3 sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 turnips (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I actually substituted beauty heart radishes--this is another good way to get rid of some)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Biscuits
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (more if needed to make a soft dough)
2/3 cup grated Cheddar
Preheat oven to 375°. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, and add chicken, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper and wine. Stir in broth, thyme, bay leaf, sweet potato, and turnip; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are almost tender about 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, then stir into simmering stew. Cook, stirring often until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make biscuit batter, in a large bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and cut into the flours with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk; stir just until a moist dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Turn the dough onto a generously floured work surface and with floured hands knead the dough for 6 to 8 times. Roll or pat the dough until it is 1/2" thick. Cut out the biscuits with a 2 1/2" round biscuit cutter (or whatever you have). Roll out leftover dough and cut out to make additional biscuits. Place the stew in a 9 X 13" pan and top it with the biscuits. Place in the oven and bake until biscuits are just golden and cooked through about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle cheese over biscuits. Return to oven; bake until cheese is bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.
Serve each portion of stew with two biscuits.
Substitute rutabagas or parsnips for sweet potatoes or turnips.
Add 1 cup frozen peas (highly recommended)
For an Indian flavor, add curry powder, turmeric, and garam masala to taste, then stir in a spoonful of spicy mango chutney toward the end of cooking.
Adapted from Oprah.com
Biscuits from MayoClinic.com
Note: On the topic of the vegetables, use about 2# of whatever root vegetables you have available. This time I used sweet potatoes, celeriac, the last of my unloved winter radishes, plus carrots.
Gravy: I didn't use wine this time because I wasn't going to open a bottle of wine for 1/4 cup. I would start with 2 cups of chicken broth. You can always add more if it seems to need it. I would use 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch and see if the gravy has the consistency you want.
I am adding my new biscuit recipe for baking on top of the stew. They came out perfect with baking them for 20 minutes and then adding the cheese. I think 5 minutes to melt the cheese might be enough.
I hesitated to post this recipe because it was not a success, but it has the potential to be very good. Since I want to try it again I decided to post it so I remember it for next year. The stew part was fine, the biscuits were way too soft and goopy. It called for too much buttermilk. I should have known better when I made the dough--but no, I put it on top of the stew. It turned into a sort of biscuit pie crust. I think dumplings would also work well.
We like a stew that is heavy with vegetables with a small amount of meat or poultry for flavor. This stew is very adaptable. You can use more or fewer vegetables, plus adding any you want to use up. For instance, I had one large sunchoke in my frig--into the pot. I also had about 1/4 of red pepper--same thing.
Another suggestion: I made this in February 2018 and used my earlier suggestions of 2 cups of broth and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. The sauce/gravy was just right! For the biscuits, I cheated and used biscuit mix (no not Bisquik) and made a full recipe. It made enough to cover the stew, especially as it baked and truthfully tasted about as good as the homemade ones. Just a suggestion, if you are in a hurry.
Biscuit-Topped Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 ribs celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 large chopped onion
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth (add more if needed)
2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves)
1 bay leaf
2-3 sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 turnips (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I actually substituted beauty heart radishes--this is another good way to get rid of some)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Biscuits
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (more if needed to make a soft dough)
2/3 cup grated Cheddar
Preheat oven to 375°. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, and add chicken, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper and wine. Stir in broth, thyme, bay leaf, sweet potato, and turnip; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are almost tender about 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, then stir into simmering stew. Cook, stirring often until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make biscuit batter, in a large bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and cut into the flours with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk; stir just until a moist dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Turn the dough onto a generously floured work surface and with floured hands knead the dough for 6 to 8 times. Roll or pat the dough until it is 1/2" thick. Cut out the biscuits with a 2 1/2" round biscuit cutter (or whatever you have). Roll out leftover dough and cut out to make additional biscuits. Place the stew in a 9 X 13" pan and top it with the biscuits. Place in the oven and bake until biscuits are just golden and cooked through about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle cheese over biscuits. Return to oven; bake until cheese is bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.
Serve each portion of stew with two biscuits.
Substitute rutabagas or parsnips for sweet potatoes or turnips.
Add 1 cup frozen peas (highly recommended)
For an Indian flavor, add curry powder, turmeric, and garam masala to taste, then stir in a spoonful of spicy mango chutney toward the end of cooking.
Adapted from Oprah.com
Biscuits from MayoClinic.com
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