chicken stew with biscuits, as promised

i made this for dinner the other night when i was terribly uninspired to make anything at all. whenever i feel such un-godly apathy, i know it's time to pull out a cookbook and try something new. :)

so, it was Ina Garten to the rescue. this particular recipe comes from her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook, and i was succored immediately by the autumnish, old-fashioned flavors it promised (plus, i had all the necessary ingredients!). and boy, did it ever live up to my expectations. and joe found room in his tiny, swedish tummy to have seconds! for all you chicken pot pie lovers out there, this is a darn good recipe, tasting exactly like chicken pot pie, with the biscuits making it southern and heavenly.

and, now that we're entering fall-food season and getting hungry for the hearty, you might be ecstatic to know that Cooking Light's issue for September is Chicken Pot Pie!

(i couldn't have taken a more unappetizing picture, sorry)

Ina Garten's Chicken Stew with Biscuits (plus my alterations):

For the Stew -

3 whole chicken breasts, bone in and skin on (i just used boneless, skinless breasts)
3 Tbl olive oil
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes (i didn't use, cuz i didn't have)
1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (i used regular)
2 chopped yellow onions
3/4 C. flour
1/4 C. heavy cream (i used half and half)
4 carrots, medium diced
2 C. frozen peas (joe doesn't like peas, so used fresh broccoli)
1 and 1/2 C. frozen small whole onions (i didn't use)
(i also put in potatoes, diced small)
1/2 C. minced fresh parsley (i didn't use)
salt and fresh ground pepper

For the Biscuits:

2 C. flour (i used white whole wheat)
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced (i used regular)
3/4 C. half and half
1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley (i didn't use)
1 egg mixed with 1 Tbl water, for egg wash (i didn't use)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken breats on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside till cool enough to handle, them remove the meat from the bones and discard skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

(To make things easier, do what i did: saute (with olive oil) boneless skinless chicken breasts in your large pot or Dutch oven, seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage, and thyme. Then just cut the chicken into bite sizes while it's right there cooking, transfer cooked chicken to a small bowl, and you'll be ready for the next step.)

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.

In a large pot or Dutch oven (if you followed my directions, the one you just used to cook the chicken in, and don't wash it out first!), melt the butter and saute the onions over med-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley (and potatoes if desired). Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half and half, and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough on a well-floured surface, and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.