Stewed Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuit Pie

Instructions

Place the chicken in a stockpot with carrot, onion, celery, leek, parsley, thyme and bay leaf and chicken stock to cover.  Simmer 1 1/4 hours uncovered.  Strain and reduce the stock to 3 cups.  Remove the chicken from bone and dice into 1-inch pieces.  Discard skin, bones and vegetables.

Blanch the peas in boiling salted water 1 minute.  Remove and cool.  Blanch the carrots 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain and cool.  Cook the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat 3 minutes.  Reserve.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan.  Add 4 tablespoons flour and stir constantly 2 minutes.  Whisk in the reserved stock and cook until it thickens, 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the diced chicken, peas, carrots and mushrooms.  Place in a 1 1/2 quart casserole.

For the biscuits, sift the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and baking powder together in a bowl.  Rub butter into flour, picking it up and dropping it far above the bowl to incorporate air, until it resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk until it holds together.  Form into a mass and roll it quickly on a well-floured surface.  Fold it in half and roll again.  Repeat, rolling it out to 1/2" thick.  Using a 2" round cutter, cut 12 biscuits and fit them close together on top of stew.  Bake in a 400 F oven 20 to 25 minutes until biscuits are golden and stew is bubbling.

Serve the stew with two biscuits per person.