Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Ina Garten is one of my very favorite chefs.  Her food never fails me, and my go to recipe for company (and one of my favorite meals) is her recipe for Lemon Fusilli with Arugula.  It's fantastic.  My husband made dinner a couple of weeks ago and made this recipe that I have been eyeing for literally a few years.  For whatever reason I never had the cajones to make it - but he did.  And it was amazing!  Another winner from Ina.  This is homey and so comforting.  Perfect for the dead of winter, but I wouldn't discount it in summer either.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

For the stew:

6 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (we used boneless, skinless)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon cubes (we used Better than Bouillon)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 yellow onions, chopped

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 carrots, medium diced, blanched for 2 minutes (that means boiled for 2 minutes)

1 10-oz package frozen peas

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (we left these out)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup half-and-half (You can make your own by using half heavy cream, half milk.)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through.  (We just boiled the chicken until done.)  Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin.  Cut the chicken into large dice.  You will have 4-6 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 for 10-15 minutes, 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 teapsoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream.  Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley.  Mix well.  Place the stew in a 9x13 baking dish.  Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper.  Bake for 15 minutes.

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

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick.  Cut out 12 circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling.  Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.