There’s nothing like a good soup, stew, or combination thereof when daylight and warmers temperatures are in short supply. Anyone familiar with the country church ritual, where funds are raised via those wonderful home-cooked meals like chicken and biscuits. Love that dish. But when made with gluten, it doesn’t love me.
For the first few years of eating clean, I went without, until I got to know the wonders of non-wheat flours like potato, tapicoa, rice, chick pea, even coconut (my new favorite for baking). Recently I came up with my own version of Chicken and Biscuits. For those concerned about eating too many carbs, or simple carbs with the evening meal, you can easily eat this on its own, minus the gluten-free bread or biscuits. This also works wonderfully poured over rice. It’s your choice.
The recipe below is not a too-the-letter one. I made this from leftover meat from a deboned, boiled chicken. One of the favorite things to do when fall begins is to regularly simmer a whole chicken in a pot filled with celery, rice, carrots…whatever’s in the vegetable drawer. The meat is unfailingly moist and tender and the stock can be used as a base for soup, and also a fantastic flavor-enhancer for making rice or baked potatoes. (One of my number one flavor rules…why use water to cook something if you don’t have to?).
So the instructions below are a guideline. Let intuition and the way your particular pot of Chicken and Biscuits is unfolding on your stovetop be your guide. Don’t be afraid to adjust measurements and ingredients. It’s a very forgiving dish. Enjoy the flavor of this dish and the benefits of the gluten-free ingredients.
Gluten-Free Chicken and Biscuits
Meat of a whole chicken (one that’s been simmered slowly, cooled, and deboned). Meat can be in chunks, no formal chopping necessary.
About 2 quarts chicken stock (that the chicken was boiled in)
1/2 to 1 stick butter (or half-cup or so of grapeseed or olive oil)
1/2 to 1 cup of rice or potato flour
Salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed to room temperature
Gluten-free biscuits or rolls, toasted and sliced
Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and keep warm on low heat. In another (large) saucepan, melt the butter or heat the oil then add flour, a little at a time as you whisk constantly to make a roux. Eventually add all the flour and/or more butter as needed. There’s no scientific way to make a roux – just play with it and don’t use too high a heat. The texture should be similar to pancake batter or perhaps a bit thicker. This will be the basis for turning the chicken stock in to a beautifully thick gravy.
Once the roux is in place, add the chicken stock gradually and continue to whisk. The roux and stock will eventually meld into a thick gravy. If gravy is too thin for your liking, carefully add some more flour, perhaps a few tablespoons at a time, until it’s the thickness you like. Remember though that the gravy won’t happen instantly….it takes 10-15 minutes of dedicated whisking at a slow simmer, not a boil.
Once the gravy is in place, add the salt, pepper, onion powder, and sage, and whisk thoroughly. Add the chicken meat and continue to whisk. The meat should naturally break into smaller pieces and even shred. Once the meat is mixed in, add the bag of peas and carrots, mix thoroughly, then cover and let the contents heat thoroughly over low heat. Any kind of gravy can stick to the pot or burn easily so be sure the heat is low and give the bottom a good scrape every now and then with a wood spoon or rubber spatula.
Serve in bowls over toasted gluten-free biscuits or rolls. This is also excellent on its own or served over a bed of rice. Bon Appetit!
Piping hot, gluten-free, and no post-dinner bloating…what a deal!