Chicken and Biscuits
Ingredients:
- flour - 1 cup
- cake flour - 1 cup
- baking powder - 2 t
- baking soda - 1/2 t
- sugar - 1 t
- salt - 1/2 t
- chilled butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes - 4 T
- buttermilk - 2 T
- vegetable oil - 1 1/2 T
- onion, chopped fine - 1
- carrots, cut 1/4 inch thick - 3 medium
- celery, cut 1/4 inch thick - 2 small ribs
- Kosher salt and black pepper - to desired taste
- butter - 4 T
- flour - 1/2 cup
- milk - 1 1/2 cup
- chicken broth - 2 3/4 cup
- dried thyme - 1/2 t
- dry sherry (optional) - 3 T
- shredded chicken - 3 - 4 cups
- forzen peas, thawed - 3/4 cup
- fresh parsley leaves, minced - 3 T
Instructions:
In a bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. With pastry blender cut butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles course meal with some larger butter lumps remaining. With a fork stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk until mixture forms a soft, sticky ball. (If the dough is dry, add extra buttermilk 1 - 2 T.)
Flour work surface and your hands, place dough on floured work surface and work dough into a ball. Pat dough to 3/4 inch thick, with a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut into 12 biscuits. Place biscuits on parchment paper lined baking sheet and chill until you're ready to use them.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; saute until tender, about 5 - 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place cooked vegetables and chicken in a bowl; set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, place the butter in the Dutch oven and melt, stir in 1/2 cup flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 1 1/2 cup milk, chicken broth and thyme. Let sauce come to a simmer and simmer for 1 minute to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the sherry. Turn heat off and place vegetables and chicken in the pot, stir until well-combined. Mix in the peas and parsley. (If filling is too thick, stir in extra chicken broth, 1/4 - 3/4 cup.)
Pour filling into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 18 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and place biscuits on top of the filling. Return pan to the oven and bake an additional 10 - 12 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
