Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits

I just love the sound of the name "chicken and biscuits."  No doubt a southern meal, but who says a northern girl can't enjoy southern food?  I made this for my family this week and we all enjoyed it.  The biscuits were tender and flaky and delicious and the chicken and gravy was just wonderful, homey and made me feel all warm and cozy inside!  This is my take on the traditional meal.  There are some "specialty" items for this...  so add to grocery list: chicken stock, unsalted butter, cake flour and buttermilk.  BTW, peas would be a wonderful addition to this dish.  I think you will enjoy this meal no matter what kind of taste palette you have.



CHICKEN AND GRAVY

INGREDIENTS :

• 3 stalks celery, diced fine
• 1 onion, diced fine
• 3 large carrots or about 1 c. baby carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (not broth)
• 5 TBSP butter
• 2/3 c. flour
• 3-4 chicken breasts
• extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Place chicken on baking sheet and drizzle with evoo and salt and pepper.  Place in reheated oven for about 30 minutes.  Take out and either shred of cut into cubes. 

In large skillet over med- high, drizzle 1 tbsp of evoo and place in all veggies.  Let saute for 10-15 min, turning heat down to med after a few minutes.  You don't want to brown the veggies, just cook until tender. If needed, add some stock so it doesn't brown. 

In another small skillet, melt butter and mix in flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a roux.  Turn off heat and set aside.  (I started biscuits here and they come together in like 5 minutes) Warm stock and wine in microwave for 2 minutes.  When veggies are very tender, add stock, wine, and roux, whisking constantly to break up the roux.  It should break up and become a smooth and creamy gravy.  Add chicken and let simmer lightly until gravy thickens.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.  

Serve over warm biscuits.


BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
makes about 8

INGREDIENTS:

Photo is not of soft sided kind, but you can see the flaky layers.

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 TBSP unsalted very cold butter, cubed
• 3/4 c. buttermilk
• butter for brushing tops

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 500.

Whisk all dry ingredients together (flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar).  With pastry cutter, fingers or food processor, work in cold butter until forms a coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and mix until just combined.  Don't overwork or will get tough.  Pour out onto floured surface and pat to 1/2"-3/4" thick.  (thicker means thicker biscuits obviously)  Cut out circles with biscuits cutter (can use glass if don't have biscuit cutter) and place on ungreased cookie sheet touching each other for soft sided biscuits. Gather leftover dough to form one more biscuit.  Brush tops with melted butter.  Place in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.   (I made these fresh for our leftovers)