Chicken Pie with Biscuit Crust
FILLING:
4 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, 1/4" slices
3/4 pound red potatoes, 1/2" dice
2 rib celery, 1/2" slices
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 onion, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
BISCUIT CRUST:
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 tablespoons shortening, cut into bits
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
EGG WASH:
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
In a saucepan bring broth to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, and celery, and
simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Transfer veggies to a
bowl, reserving the broth, and add the chicken to the bowl. In another saucepan,
cook the onion in the butter over mod-low heat, stirring, until it is softened.
Add flour and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Add 3 cups of broth in a stream, whisking. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking.
Add the thyme and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir
in nutmeg, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the
chicken and veggies. Stir the mixture gently, until it is just combined.
Transfer the mixture to a 2-qt. baking dish.
Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add
the butter and shortening and blend the mixture until it resembles meal. Add the
cheese and toss. Break egg into a measuring cup and add buttermilk to it so that
the total volume is 1/2 cup. Beat with a fork. Add to the flour mixture,
stirring until the mixture just forms dough. Gather dough into a ball and, on a
floured surface, pat it out 1/2-inch thick.
Cut as many rounds as possible using a 2-inch fluted biscuit cutter, dipped in
flour. Gather the scraps and pat and cut again. Arrange the rounds on the
chicken mixture. Beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush the tops of the
biscuits with the wash. Prick biscuits with a fork.
Bake in the middle of a preheated 450ºF oven for 15-25
minutes, or until biscuits are puffed and golden, and the filling is bubbling.
Serves 4.
