CHICKEN STEW WITH BISCUITS

Adapted from "The Barefoot Contessa: Family Style" by Ina Garten. This is my most successful replacement for Chicken Pot Pie – I have added extra veggies and simplified a few things to make this more do-able on the weekdays. Morgan loves it; admittedly, Audrey mostly eats the biscuits.

FOR THE STEW:
2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (or some leftover roasted chicken)
2 ½ cups chicken stock
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup flour
¼ cup half ‘n half
1 cup carrots, diced small and blanched for 1 - 2 minutes
1 cup celery, diced small
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup minced parsley

FOR THE BISCUITS:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda (eliminate this if you sub milk for buttermilk)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg for wash, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (sometimes I skip this)

Poach the chicken breasts: rinse and then immerse in water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from water and after cooling a bit, dice.

In a saucepan, heat the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and then add and sauté the onion over medium-low heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock and simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. (You have just made a fancy French sauce!! and I don’t remember its name!!) Add 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and the half and half and combine well. Stir in the chicken, carrots, celery, peas and parsley. Pour the stew in an oval baking dish and place on a sheet pan lined with foil. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Whisk together the first six (dry) ingredients in a large bowl. With a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Add the milk and stir together until it forms a ball, finishing with your hands.

Turn onto a well-floured board and roll out to about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out desired size round biscuits. Either roll out again and cut out more round biscuits, or save the odd shaped pieces to fit in between the round ones like I do.

Remove stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top. You will have extras, which can cook on the sheet pan. Brush the biscuits with the egg wash and bake for another 20 – 30 minutes until the biscuits are browned and the stew is bubbly. Serve immediately.