Chicken & Biscuit Stoup

This recipe comes from my friend Rachael Ray. Well, maybe we aren't friends, but I watch her enough on TV to know that if we ever met, we'd hit it off instantly & become great friends. She'd cook for me. I'd bake for her. Anyway, my mom discovered & first made this recipe the Fall of 2006. Since then we have made it many, many times & we always look forward to cooler temps to start making this stoup in mass quantities. This is Rachael's exact recipe, but we do it just a little differently. We use Rotisserie chicken or previously Crock Potted then frozen shredded chicken. When making the roux, we melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, cook until the flour reaches a light peanut butter color, & then add chicken broth. Cook until thick & then add the gravy to the vegetables. Also, note that the potatoes have a shorter cooking time than the other veggies, so add them to the pot last to avoid mushy potatoes. Also, we have never used the dill. Maybe it would be good, but I'm not willing to potentially ruin a perfectly perfect pot of stoup to try it out. And lastly, I tend to cook my veggies longer sometimes even getting a little browning on them - I think it looks rustic. Thank you Rachael for this delicious recipe. I will make the next batch in your honor.

Ingredients:

Serves 8

• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 5 tablespoons butter , divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
• 2 large carrots , peeled and sliced into half inch thick discs
• 1 large onion peeled and chopped
• 4 ribs celery from the heart chopped
• 2 large russet potatoes , peeled and chopped
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 1 bay leaf , fresh or dried
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped, a generous handful
• 3 tablespoons (a generous handful) chopped fresh dill
• 2 tubes bake off biscuits , store bought, any brand or variety
• A few pinches cayenne pepper

Heat chicken stock to a boil in a deep skillet or pot. Add chicken breasts and poach at a gentle simmer until cooked through about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove chicken, cut into bite size pieces and reserve.

Heat a large deep pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter plus 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. When butter melts into oil add all chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, add bay leaf, cook vegetables 10 minutes until they begin to become tender. Do not brown vegetables; you just want to sweat them out a bit. While vegetables are working, over small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter, whisk in flour, and cook a few minutes to form a roux. Remove and reserve.

To the vegetables add the chicken and stock that you cooked the chicken in, pouring stock through a strainer to remove any by-products from poaching the chicken. Whisk roux into your completed chicken and vegetable mixture. Simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

While chicken works, bake off biscuits to package directions, sprinkle the tops of each biscuit with a little bit of cayenne pepper just before they go in the oven.

When ready to serve, stir peas, dill and parsley into chicken. Split biscuits and place in bottom of shallow bowls and ladle chicken on top.

Kristin