Chicken
one 5-pound roasting chicken -- or 5 pounds of
chicken parts, including light and dark meat*
1 large onion -- cut in chunks
2 large carrots -- cut in chunks
5 sprigs fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart water
Sauce
4 tablespoons chicken fat (reserved from poaching liquid --
above)
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (prepared from poaching liquid
-- above)
Biscuits
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
Recipe
*If you decide to use leftover cooked turkey or chicken, you'll need 2
to 2 1/4 pounds of boneless, skinless meat, which is between 6 and 7
cups of meat.
Filling: Place the chicken (or chicken parts), onion, carrots,
parsley, thyme and salt in a deep stock pot. Add the water; it should
almost cover the chicken (if it doesn't, add more). Bring the water to
a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer the chicken and
vegetables for about 1 1/4 hours (for a whole chicken) or 45 minutes
to 1 hour (for chicken parts), till chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken and vegetables, discarding the vegetables and
spreading the chicken on a platter to cool. Boil the stock till it's
reduced to 2 1/2 cups; this will take about 45 minutes. If after 45
minutes there's more than 2 1/2 cups of stock remaining, simply
measure out 2 1/2 cups, and save (or discard, or pour on your dog's
food) the rest. Alternatively, you can use 20 ounces of canned chicken
broth, about 1 1/2 cans.
Sauce: Skim the fat off the top of the stock, reserving 4 tablespoons
and discarding the rest. Place the 4 tablespoons of fat in a saucepan
with 2 tablespoons of butter, and heat over medium heat till butter is
melted. Add 6 tablespoons of flour, and stir to combine. Gradually
pour in the 2 1/2 cups stock, whisking constantly. Cook and stir the
sauce over medium heat till it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat
and simmer it for 5 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, remove the skin and bones from the
chicken, and tear it into 1-inch pieces. When the sauce is ready, stir
in the chicken and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add ground black pepper and
additional salt to taste.
Spoon the chicken into an 8 x 12-inch (or similar size) casserole
dish; the dish should hold 2 to 3 quarts, and should be wide rather
than deep, in order for the biscuits to fit on top
Biscuits: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder
and salt. Using a pastry blender, your fingers, or an electric mixer,
cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. Whisk together the
egg and milk, and stir into the dry ingredients, mixing just till
fully combined. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
Assembly: Preheat the oven to 450�F. Using a spoon or cookie (or ice
cream) scoop, drop the batter in golf ball-sized rounds onto the
chicken, spacing them evenly and leaving a bit of room in between for
expansion. Place the chicken and biscuits in the oven, and bake for 15
to 18 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown. Remove from the
oven and serve hot or warm. Yield: 8 to 12 servings, depending on the
appetites involved.