Chicken and Biscuits

This is one of my favorite dishes that I make and the boys are fans too (always a plus). It's a time consuming recipe, but totally worth the work. I made this for our unexpected guests (which I loved because we rarely have people staying the night). Dave, Danielle & baby Aila-come back soon and I'll make you something else yummy!

Chicken Stew With Biscuits from Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook

serves 8

Stew:

3 whole chicken breasts, bone in skin on

3 tbs olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tbs unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots (about 4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes

1 10-oz package of frozen peas

1 1/2 cups frozen small onions (I omitted this because it's a little too much onion for my tastes)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs baking powder

1 teas kosher salt

1 teas sugar

1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup half & half

1/2 cup chopped parsley (I didn't have enough, so I omitted this too)

1 egg mixed with 1 tbs water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken breasts 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 until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat, 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 teas salt, 1/2 teas pepper and the heavy cream. Then add chicken, carrots, peas, small onions and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a huge oval or rectangular baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine 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 & half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board 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 stew from oven and arrange biscuits on top of the stew. 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.