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COMMENT:
Often in Cajun Country, left-over biscuits or French Bread was used
as a starch in place of rice or potatoes. The desire to seek variety
gave rise to a dish that, in many cases, was better than the original.
This is one such recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 (3-pound) fryer, halved
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, mashed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups onions, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced
- 1/2 cup yellow bell peppers, diced
- 1/4 cup garlic, minced
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
- 1 tsp basil, chopped
- 1 tsp thyme, chopped
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 homemade biscuits
METHOD:
Place halved chicken in a stockpot along with carrots, onion, celery
and garlic. Add 2 1/2 quarts cold water. Bring to a low boil, reduce
to simmer and cook until chicken is tender, but not falling apart,
approximately 30-40 minutes. Once chicken is tender, strain and
reserve 2 quarts of de-fatted stock and cool chicken, skin and debone.
Place stock and deboned meat on the side for later use. In a dutch
oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add flour and, using a wire
whisk, stir until dark brown roux is achieved. Add onions, celery,
bell peppers and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables
are wilted. Add Rotel tomatoes, basil, thyme and hot chicken stock,
1 cup at a time, until a slightly thickened stew is achieved. Add
bay leaf, mushrooms and half of the green onions. Bring to a rolling
boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes. While sauce is cooking,
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. After sauce has cooked 30 minutes,
add chicken and season to taste using salt and pepper. Additional
stock or water may be necessary to retain stew-like consistency.
Add remaining green onions, parsley and adjust seasonings if necessary.
When ready to serve, heat biscuits thoroughly in oven and, when
hot, split in half. Place the bottom half in the center of a 10-inch
plate and top with a generous portion of the chicken fricassee.
Top with the remaining biscuit half. Garnish with parsley. |
