carrots

Farm Journal's Chicken & Sweet Cream Biscuits

Chicken & Sweet Cream Biscuits (with additional peas and chives!), with a small serving of the gravy!

Chicken & Sweet Cream Biscuits (with additional peas and chives!), with a small serving of the gravy!

The head note for this recipe reads "A Sunday special-bring guests home from church to enjoy it!".  I remember my mother making something very similar, but we call it "runny chicken gravy & biscuits", because she made a thinner gravy that would soak into the biscuits.  It was one of my absolute childhood favorites!  This recipe calls for stewing a whole cut-up chicken, but I used bone-in, skin-on breasts and thighs instead to eliminate some of the mess.  I used 4 thighs and 3 breast halves, cut into 6 pieces, and proceeded as written, with the addition of a teaspoon of chicken base to the cooking water, and some peas and chives at the end, to round it out a bit. I also used 3 cups broth and 1 cup cream, and it was plenty rich.  The biscuits are really simple, and a perfect landing place for the chicken and gravy.  Don't forget to season as you go, as the recipe doesn't mention that, but it is crucial!

1 (5 lb.) stewing chicken

2 tsp. salt

1 branch celery

1 medium onion, quartered

5 carrots, cut in big pieces

1/4 c. chicken fat

2 c. chicken broth

3/4 c. flour

2 c. light cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

Parsley (I used chives)

Sweet Cream Biscuits

Cut chicken into serving-size pieces; place in kettle.  Add hot water to cover.  Add salt, celery and onion.  Simmer, covered, until tender, about 3 hours.  Add carrots the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Drain broth from chicken. (Save the broth!)  Skim fat from broth, saving 1/4 c. fat for gravy.  Strain broth; save carrots.  Measure 2 c. broth for gravy.  Pour remaining broth back into kettle with chicken to keep hot.

Measure chicken fat into saucepan; blend in flour.  Gradually add broth and cream.  Cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly.  Add a small amount of hot gravy to egg yolks; then add yolks to to gravy.  Cook 2 minutes more.  (I added 1 cup of defrosted frozen peas at this point.)

Place hot chicken and carrots in serving dish or soup tureen; pour in gravy.  Sprinkle with parsley and top with baked Sweet Cream Biscuits.  Makes 10-12 servings.

Sweet Cream Biscuits

Sift together 4 c. sifted flour, 1 tsp. salt and 2 Tblsp. baking powder.  Stir in 1 1/2 c. heavy cream with fork just until all flour is moistened; add water (about 4 Tblsp.) if necessary.

Knead on lightly floured surface, about 10 times.  Roll 3/4" thick; cut with small floured cutter.  Bake on un-greased baking sheet in very hot oven (450-degrees) 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 36 small biscuits.