Chicken Biscuits 'n' Gravy

Go get your fat pants. You'll put on a few pounds just looking at this one! I can put this recipe way up there with my favorites. Probably just under chicken and dumplings. When I was young, I used to walk home from school wondering what my Mom was cooking for dinner and hoping it was this dish. It is amazing.  It is the ultimate comfort food.  

Chicken Biscuits 'n' Gravy 

Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup cold buttermilk

 Whisk together the measured flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the cold butter pieces and toss to just coat them in the flour mixture. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes. 

 

Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, and working quickly so as not to soften the butter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in the buttermilk and stir just until moist and dough comes together.

Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the surface and dust the top with more flour. Using floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick circle. Using a 2-1/2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut out as many biscuits as possible (press straight down through the dough—do not twist the cutter, or the biscuits will not rise properly).

Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps into a ball, pat it into a 1-inch-thick circle, and cut out more biscuits. Repeat as needed until you have 8 total. Discard any remaining dough. Bake until the biscuits have risen and are golden brown on top, about 15 to 16 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the gravy.

Gravy

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

3 1/2 cups whole milk or half and half

1 rotisserie chicken, torn into pieces (breast or thighs or both)

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain well and set aside. 

Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour, salt and pepper. You can add a pinch of cayenne here if you’d like to kick it up a bit. Cook, stirring frequently, until the raw taste of the flour has cooked off, about 1 minute.

Gradually stir in the milk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 1 minute more (the gravy will continue to thicken as it sits). Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Add the torn chicken pieces and the potatoes and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for about 20 more minutes stirring every few minutes.  Serve in bowl or plate and top with a biscuit!

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