If you don’t read Jennifer Perillo’s blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen, do yourself a favor and start! Jennie is not only an amazing cook, but she also has a very poetic way with words. She has been through a lot in the last couple of years (as she rebuilds a new life with her two young daughters after the unexpected passing away of Mikey, her husband/the love of her life). Her strength in holding things together and continuing to dream big – even when ‘life” alters your dreams – has been an inspiration. In the midst of it all, she continues to cook as a way to express her love in memory of those who are gone…and for those who remain. As I expressed in my Love, loss and what we ate (2012 in review) post earlier this year, food is definitely a powerful way to express love!
Anyway, I bought Jennie’s new cookbook Homemade with Love: Simple Scratch Cooking from In Jennie’s Kitchen. While I’m the first to write that I don’t buy a lot of cookbooks because I’m a clutter-phobe, this one is special. It may very well be the prettiest cookbook that I have ever seen. You can just tell that so much thought and care was spent considering everything – from the stories and recipes to the paper and font. Buy this book! I pored over it, before deciding which recipe I wanted to share with you. Ironically, the “Drop Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie” recipe that I chose was also the favorite of Jennie’s late husband Mikey. What can I say? Mikey had great taste in food as well as women! Usually, I change things up in recipes, but this time I only changed the chicken and stock. (I used my “Crazy easy crock pot chicken” recipe.) I’m so glad that I basically stuck to Jennie’s recipe. It is perfect. Enjoy!
DROP BISCUIT CHICKEN POT PIE
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
(Reprinted with permission from Jennifer Perillo and Running Press)
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons (18 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock (page 26)
• ½ cup (125 mil) milk
• 1 cup (120 grams) cubed leftover roasted chicken (page 107)
• ½ cup (59 grams) frozen peas
• Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (7 grams), chopped
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ batch Fluffy Drop Biscuit dough (page 138), unbaked
Directions:
For the pot pie filling: Melt the butter in an 8-inch (20-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook, 1 to 2 minutes, until they are bright orange and barely tender. Sprinkle the flour over the carrots, and stir vigorously for 1 minute to cook the flour a bit.
Slowly pour in the stock, and then the milk. Raise the heat to medium-high and let it come to a very gentle boil. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken, peas, and parsley. Let cook until the carrots are tender, and the peas and chicken are heated through, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), and prepare the drop biscuit dough. Drop dollops of the dough over the top of the pot pie filling to mostly cover the surface. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 18 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve immediately.
FLUFFY DROP BISCUITS
MAKES ONE DOZEN
(Reprinted with permission from Jennifer Perillo and Running Press)
Ingredients:
• 2 cups (290 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
• ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons (14 grams) granulated natural cane sugar
• 6 tablespoons (84 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 ¼ cups (312 ml) buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with the rack adjusted to the upper middle position.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar to a deep bowl. Whisk to combine. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and rub together quickly with your fingertips, until it forms a sandy-looking texture with some pebble-sized pieces. Pour in the buttermilk and stir until it just comes together into a thick dough and there are no visible signs of flour. This step should only take a minute: be careful not to overmix the dough.
Drop by scant ¼-cupfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet – I use an ice cream scoop for this so they come out even in size and shape. Bake until golden on the bottoms and around the edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Serve hot.
My husband and sons aren’t huge chicken pot pie fans like I am, but they enjoyed this meal. They especially loved the biscuit topping. In fact, they liked the topping so much that they begged me to make the fluffy drop biscuits for breakfast the next day. (I was happy to oblige!)
(P.S. Did I mention that I HIGHLY recommend that you buy Homemade with Love: Simple Scratch Cooking from In Jennie’s Kitchen? Your loved ones will thank you! 🙂 )