DRAFT* – Huntsman’s Chicken Pie

While I was trying to find (and failed) Annabel Langbein’s recipe for her Mediterranean Baked Fish I stumbled over this delightfully sounding dish. I have included her ingredients for the dumplings that go on top but I used store bought buttermilk biscuits painted with beaten egg. Season painted biscuits with salt, pepper and finely chopped Rosemary.
*This is a draft UJT recipe. That means I have cooked it as directed and enjoyed the results but still want tweak it some more.

 

 

Ingredients:

1-3 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into thirds (or a mix of boneless
breasts and thighs but all cut into about the same size pieces)
2 tbsp butter
4 rashers smoked bacon, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 Pablano pepper, de-veined and seeded then finely chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp each, finely chopped, fresh rosemary leaves and thyme leaves
2 tbs Corn Starch mixed with 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup white wine
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Dumpling Topping
2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for the board
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
½ tsp each salt and fine black pepper
¾ cup milk
¼ cup oil
1 beaten egg, to glaze

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Melt butter in a large cast iron frypan, add bacon, onions and celery and cook over a medium heat until softened without browning (8 minutes). Add mushrooms, herbs and cook until the pan is dry (5 minutes). Deglaze pan with white wine. Add corn starch mixture and stir until sauce boils and lightly thickens. Add cream and stir in chicken. Transfer to casserole dish, if skillet is not big enough to hold chicken and biscuits. Top with prepared buttermilk biscuits (see above) and bake until biscuits have risen and are golden on top and the sauce is bubbling (~ 40 minutes).
  3. To make the Dumpling Topping, place the flour, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl. Shake together the milk and oil in a jar, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mix in the liquids quickly, mixing to a soft-ish dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and cut about 12 rounds. Arrange overlapping rounds on top of the filling, brush with beaten egg and bake until topping is puffed and golden and sauce is bubbling (40 minutes).
  4. Serve to hungry people with a generous scoop of Rice.