Chicken Challenge - Day 2
The first time I ever had Creamed Chicken on Biscuit was in elementary school. Strange, right? It was so delicious. And warm and, and biscuit-y. I loved it! I was very rarely allowed to buy lunch in the cafeteria and actually preferred to carry my Holly Hobby lunch box. But Creamed Chicken on Biscuit was one meal Mimi nodded yes to. I happily obliged.
You start this creamy meal by sautéing onions and carrots in butter. Add garlic, salt and pepper once the vegetables are softened.
Toss the flour onto your vegetables, stir and cook to allow the raw flour to meld into the flavors. The flour is used to eventually help thicken the sauce.
You don't want to taste the flour. Yucky!
Now, slowly add your chicken broth. It will bubble and sizzle. It will also pick up all the lovely and flavorful brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Yum!
Stir in your cream.
Time to season. I use ground celery seed to take me back to the flavor of that delicious elementary school Creamed Chicken I used to eat. Start out adding this spice slowly if you've never tasted or used it. It's pungent and tasty. Try sprinkling just a 1/2 teaspoon to start and work your way up - not using more than 1 1/2 teaspoons.
It's dark and decadent!
Look! I've added this show's star - chicken!
And now the frozen peas! Stir to combine and prepare to pour over your scrumptious biscuits!
Wait! Where are the biscuits....
Silly. I'd never leave you hanging! Whisk together some flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
This is very cold butter. Cut into small cubes. Toss these buttery butter cubes into your flour mixture and, using your hands, blend the butter into the flour. Blend until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.
Very slowly add your half and half (or milk) into the flour. Mix just until the dough begins to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Pat the dough together (no kneading) until it is about 1" in thickness.
Cut your biscuits, place on a baking sheet and place into a preheated oven for about 13 minutes. Or 15 minutes. Or until the edges just begin to brown.
Split one of those warm and tender biscuits in half and pour on the creamed chicken. Take a bite. Flash back to a new box of 64 count Crayola Crayons, singing 'Rainbow Connection' with Christa for a school program, having a crush on a boy named Chris and doing flips off the monkey bars.
Here are the recipe:
Creamed Chicken
1/4 cup butter
3 T flour
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 t ground celery seed
salt and pepper - to taste
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup frozen peas
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add onions and carrots and sauté until soft. Add in your garlic and cook for one minute. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and cook for 3-4 minutes to cook out the raw flour. Slowly add your broth, picking up all the brown bits that formed on the bottom of the pan. Once all the broth is incorporated, add your heavy cream. Now add your ground celery seed - one half teaspoon at a time, tasting after every addition. Celery seed is a strong and delicious spice, only add what tastes right to you! Mix together and cook until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste
Finally, fold in your chicken and peas. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Heat through and serve over biscuits.
Biscuits
(adapted from JP's Big Daddy Biscuits)
2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 T sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 cup half and half (or whole milk)
Preheat oven to 425℉.
Blend together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut very cold butter into small cubes and cut into your flour mixture until it looks coarse or mealy.
Slowly mix in you half and half (you may not need the full cup) until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat and roll it to a 1" thickness. Cut out biscuits and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake approximately 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
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