Chicken Pot Pie with Drop Biscuit Topping

This chicken pot pie was really elevated by the inclusion of fresh herbs. Even the biscuits had arugula in them. I loved it!

This was our Valentine’s Day dinner. ❤ The recipe was adapted from My Paris Kitchen, by David Lebovitz. I increased the amount of onions, garlic, peas, and chicken. I also used arugula instead of watercress in the biscuits.

I chose the “Americanized” version of his Chicken Pot Parmentier by using the biscuit topping rather than the potato topping. According to Lebovitz, the fresh tarragon in the filling still makes this dish decidedly French. Fancy comfort food. 🙂

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Chicken Filling:

• 4 cups (1 quart/1 liter) chicken stock (I used my homemade turkey stock)
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 25 peeled pearl onions (I used frozen pearl onions, thawed)
• 6 T (3 oz/85 g) unsalted butter
• 6 T (60 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 T dry white wine
• 4 to 5 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken meat)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas or shelled fava beans, thawed
• 2 T finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 T finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp coarse salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Drop Biscuit Topping:

• 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 8 T (4 oz/115 g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1/2 cup packed (50 g) finely chopped arugula or watercress
• 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk

To Make the Chicken Filling:

1. Heat the stock in a saucepan over medium heat with the carrots, celery, and onions. Let simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
3. Whisk a few ladlefuls of the warm stock into the flour mixture, which will appear lumpy at first but will smooth out as you go. Gradually add all the stock, including the vegetables, stirring as you go.
4. Cook for about 9 minutes, until thickened.
5. Add the garlic and wine and cook for 1 additional minute.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chicken, peas, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
7. Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish. Set the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drippings.
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.

To Make the Drop Biscuit Topping:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, pepper, baking soda, and baking powder to combine.
2. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, combine until the butter is broken into pea-size pieces.
3. Add the arugula, and then the buttermilk, mixing just until the dough holds together.
4. Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, distribute the dough evenly over the chicken filling. (I made 3 rows of 6 biscuits.)

To Finish:

1. Bake the chicken potpie for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling and hot.

One Year Ago: Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Two Years Ago: Fried Chicken Thighs & Cheesy Grits

Four Years Ago: Fried Chicken Biscuits

Five Years Ago: Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork and Popovers

Butternut Squash Bread Soup (Panade de Butternut)

This dish could have fed an army. It was GIGANTIC.  I would describe it as French onion soup meets oozy casserole. Full-flavored, cheese-covered comfort food. The thinly sliced butternut squash and fresh herbs layered into the bread, caramelized onions, and cheese added a little bit of excitement as well as color and nutrition. 😉

This recipe was adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. Lebovitz stated that this is one of those dishes that improves as it sits… thank goodness! We had lots of leftovers. 🙂 I added additional homemade stock to the leftovers, before reheating, just to make it a little bit soupier.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

• 3 T unsalted butter
• 3 T olive oil
• 4 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled (4 thinly sliced & 4 whole)
• 2 T mixed fresh thyme and sage
• 2-pound (900 g) loaf firm-textured sourdough bread, sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 quarts (2 l) warm chicken or turkey stock, plus additional stock for serving, as desired
• 2-pound butternut squash or other winter squash such as Kabocha, peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups grated Comte, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, or Fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz /45 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. (I used an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
2. Add the onions, 4 cloves of sliced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the herbs. Cook for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely wilted and beginning to brown on the bottom and edges.
3. While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Put the slices of bread on baking sheets in a single layer and toast in the oven, turning the slices over midway, until both sides are dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.
5. When cool enough to handle, rub both sides of the bread with the whole garlic cloves.
6. Slice the peeled and seeded squash into 1/8-inch slices. (I used a mandoline.)
7. When the onions are done, pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen up any of the flavorful brown bits. Cook for a minute or two, until the wine is absorbed.
8. Add 2 cups of the stock to the onions and cook until the stock is mostly absorbed 10 to 15 minutes, and then add the rest of the stock and heat until the stock is hot. Remove from heat.
9. To assemble the Panade, cover the bottom of a 3 to 4 quart (3-4 l), 3+inch (8 cm) deep, baking dish with a layer of bread, breaking any pieces so they fit in a single layer, but keeping them as large as possible.
10. Ladle about half of the onions and some of the stock over the bread, and then cover with half of the squash slices. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and half of the remaining herbs.
11. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (40 g) of the Comte.
12. Add a second layer of bread and ladle the rest of the onions and more stock over the bread. Cover with remaining squash slices. Season the squash with salt, pepper, and the remaining herbs.
13. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup (40 g) of Comte over the squash layer.
14. Cover the squash with a final layer of bread and then ladle the rest of the stock over the bread.
15. Press down on the ingredients to encourage them to meld together.
16. Top with remaining 1 cup (90 g) Comte, and the Parmesan.
17. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and tighten it around the edges. Don’t press it down on the surface or some cheese may stick to the foil during baking.
18. Set the baking dish on a parchment paper or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills.
19. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover the Panade, and bake for another 30 minutes, or until it is very well browned and crisp on top.
20. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Spoon portions into shallow soup bowls, making sure each serving is topped with crusty topping.

I’m bringing my dinner-party ready comfort food to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #164 this week, hosted by Jhuls @The Not So Creative Cook. Enjoy!

One Year Ago:

• White Bean Soup with Bacon & Herbs

Two Years Ago:

• Greek Red Lentil Soup

Three Years Ago:

• Red Onion Soup with Gruyere Toasts
• Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Four Years Ago:

• Winter Squash Casserole
• Roasted Acorn Squash
• Creamy Baked Acorn Squash

Chicken with Mustard

My husband LOVES mustard chicken- especially when it is super saucy. I think of it as a classic French bistro dish but apparently it is a classic French home-cooked dish! This one is over the top- the incredible mustard sauce incorporates bacon and crème fraiche- YUM. 🙂 It is definitely one of the best versions I have ever made. Fabulous!!

This recipe was adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz, via The Saint Jeffreys. I substituted boneless, skinless chicken thighs for whole chicken legs and served it over sautéed greens, instead of pasta, with roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus on the side. I think I need to explore this book a little bit more- I am sure that there are many many more wonderful dishes to pore over… mmmmm…..

Yield: Serves 6

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt or sea salt, or to taste
• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup (about 5-6 oz) smoked bacon, diced
• 1 large Spanish or white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche

1. In a 9×13-inch pyrex dish or a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup Dijon mustard with the paprika, some ground pepper, and salt. Mix with chicken thighs, and coat with mixture on all sides. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet (I used enameled cast iron) with a lid over medium heat, and add the diced bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown. Remove the bacon from pan, and drain on paper towels. Spoon or pour out all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pan. (The extra bacon fat can be reserved to sauté greens as a side dish!)
3. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, and cook another minute. Scrape onion and thyme into a bowl. Set aside.
4. Place the chicken and sauce in the hot skillet in a single layer. Cook over medium-high heat, browning well on one side, and then on the other, about 4 minutes per side. (Make sure the chicken develops a brown color, as this will help with the taste of the sauce.) Once cooked, remove chicken from pan and place on a plate. Set aside.
5. Add the white wine to pan, and scrape the brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, and add prepared bacon and onions. Cover and cook over medium heat, turning over pieces a few times, for around 15 minutes. If the sauce is too watery, remove the lid for part of the cooking time.
6. Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the mustard seeds and the crème fraiche. Serve with roasted potatoes and sautéed greens, or as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Chicken, Shrimp, & Clam Jambalaya
• Steakhouse Creamed Spinach vs. “Lighter” Creamed Kale

Two Years Ago:

• Jambalaya
• Spinach Cooked with Onions (Mughlai Saag)

If you like this you may also like:

• Mustard Chicken (my (now) other favorite version)
• Mustard Chicken with Shallots (well, ok, another favorite!)
• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce
• Baked Mustard Chicken
• Quick Crusty Mustard Chicken