Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Chicken Stew with Biscuits or Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits… whatever you want to call it- It’s classic comfort food. This version was the runner-up dish for our Valentine’s Day dinner this year. I suppose we had two Valentine’s day dinners (plus leftovers!). Lots of love in my house. ❤

This recipe was adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten, via Barefoot Contessa.com. We ate it with a green salad. I modified the recipe to use rotisserie chicken meat, reduced the butter, and incorporated homemade turkey stock. I also steamed the carrots and heated the stock in the microwave and used a food processor to make the biscuit dough.

I made the stew and biscuit dough a day ahead and refrigerated them separately. The day I was ready to serve the dish, I warmed the stew for 1 hour at room temperature, re-heated in the oven for 30+ minutes, and then topped with the pre-cut raw biscuit dough and continued to bake for approximately one half hour. Perfect.

2022 Update: I used 3 carrots and 2 peeled and diced CSA turnips instead of 4 carrots and pearl onions. Fabulous!

For the Stew:

• 1 rotisserie chicken
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (I used Trader Joe’s liquid concentrate chicken broth.)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 carrots, medium-diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley, optional

For the Biscuits:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.
3. Steam the diced carrots with 2 tablespoons of water in the microwave for 2 minutes.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, preferably with a spout, heat the chicken stock in the microwave until hot. Remove and incorporate the concentrated stock. (Alternatively, the stock can be warmed in a separate pot on the stove.)
5. In a large pot or Dutch oven (I used enameled cast iron), melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent.
6. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
7. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick.
8. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream.
9. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley, if using. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed.
10. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper.
11. Bake for 15 minutes.
12. Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor or an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
13. Add the butter and pulse (or mix on low-speed) until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and pulse (or combine on low-speed) until the dough just comes together. Mix in the parsley, if using.
14. Dump the dough out on a well-floured piece of parchment-paper. Using your hands, pat out to 3/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2-1/2 inch round cutter. Only re-form the dough once.
15. Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling.
16. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven.
17. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

One Year Ago:

• Meera Sodha’s Chicken Curry

Three Years Ago:

• Fried Chicken Biscuits
• Broccoli & Mozzarella Potluck Stromboli

Four Years Ago:

• Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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