A better Spot for all your Food & Culinary Needs by Culinary Spot: : Leftover Turkey

Turkey or Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style, by Ina Garten
Copyright 2002 -- I highly recommend this cookbook

Now to the recipe as I have adapted it for using leftover Turkey or Chicken 4 to 6 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken, white or dark meat as you like, or a mix of the two
5 cups chicken stock, homemade or low sodium canned or boxed
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) of butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)
¼ cup all-purpose flour (I use unbleached flour, your choice)
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups medium diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched in hot water for 2 minutes
2 cups frozen peas (basically 1 10-ounce package)
1-1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (or just one package because these can be expensive)
½ cup minced fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Okay – I do not make the biscuits. I did once, and I am not a good biscuit baker, so I buy the biscuits, Pillsbury and usually the low fat buttermilk biscuits. You can make your own biscuits or buy any ready to cook biscuits that you want. Another note: All salt here is Kosher salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat – using a whisk stir constantly for 2 minutes. You want the flour to lose its floury smell but not to get to a golden or brown color (not making a roux here). Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 1 more minute. And continue whisking. You want a thickened sauce, but not too thick because you will be adding a lot to it.

Add 2 teaspoons salt (I add about one teaspoon – check taste and think about how salt affects you – for me salt is not good); ½ teaspoons ground pepper, and the ¼ cup heavy cream.

Add the cubed Chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley to the sauce. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10X13X2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Bake the stew for 15 minutes. Then add the biscuits on top and bake for about another 20 to 25 minutes, depending upon what type of biscuits you use. When the stew is bubbly and the biscuits are done, let it cool at bit, and then Bon Appetit!
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I actually use one packet of the chicken seasoning that comes with the Ramen Noodles. Paul likes the Noodles but does not use the very salty packet of seasonings. Since I hate to waste anything foodwise, I use I packet of the chicken seasoning in place of the two bouillon cubes.
Feel free to use Smart Balance or any other high quality low cholesterol butter substitute.
I have also used frozen carrots and just cut those up. Makes this go a bit faster.
My sister in law does not like parsley so I left it out once for a family gathering, and it was just fine without the parsley.

Edited by Paul Carleton (11/27/10 06:17 PM)