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.