034 / 75 · Chicken, Turkey and Fish Suppers

Chicken and Root Vegetable Biscuit Bake

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L;6 portions with 2 small biscuits each · Active 45 min · Total 1 hr 55 min

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Carrot, parsnip and rutabaga are diced and simmered before they join chicken in a light sauce. Twelve small cut biscuits sit above the hot filling, their undersides exposed to heat instead of buried in cold liquid. The roots have different flavors, but a common small size helps them become tender together.

Jump to ingredients

Hand-drawn chicken and root-vegetable bake with twelve small round biscuits.

Peel, weigh, then give the roots a head start

Rutabaga can be much firmer than a carrot, especially when cut in a large wedge. Peel it thoroughly and use the prepared weight. Cut all the roots into roughly one-centimeter dice and simmer until almost tender before making the final filling. Check a rutabaga piece, not just the softest parsnip, with the edge of a spoon. Drain well so their cooking water does not thin the sauce. This stage can happen alongside the chicken and onion work, which is why the full recipe does not require three separate long cooking periods. Keep the raw-chicken board separate from the vegetables and use a clean plate for cooked meat.

A small cut biscuit needs a stated thickness

Rub cold butter into the dry ingredients, add milk and bring the dough together with only a few folds. Pat it to about half an inch thick and cut twelve small rounds, re-forming scraps only once. Tall thick rounds would need a different oven time and could leave wet dough where they meet the sauce. Arrange the biscuits with gaps across a hot filling and keep them on the surface. They should rise and brown without sealing every opening. At the finish, lift a central biscuit edge with a clean spoon and check its underside as well as the casserole temperature. A browned top is useful, but it is not proof that flour underneath is cooked. Rest briefly before serving two biscuits with each portion of chicken and roots.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 3/8-in/1-cm dice (200 g prepared)
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cut in 3/8-in/1-cm dice (200 g prepared)
  • 1 small rutabaga portion, peeled and cut in 3/8-in/1-cm dice (150 g prepared)
  • 6 cups water (1.4 L), for roots
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml)
  • 1 lb 5 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 3/4-in/2-cm pieces (600 g)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (30 g), for sauce
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (25 g), for sauce
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (480 ml)
  • 3/4 cup milk (180 ml), for sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), for filling
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 g), plus 1 tablespoon/8 g for shaping
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), for biscuits
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter, diced (40 g), for biscuits
  • 7 tablespoons milk (105 ml), for biscuits

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, Large saucepan, Colander, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Clean plate, Mixing bowl, 2-in/5-cm round cutter, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Whisk, Suitable foil for loose shielding if the topping colors before the center finishes

Allergens

Milk, Wheat; check stock for celery or other allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet. Bring diced roots and their water to a boil in the saucepan, then simmer 10–15 minutes until almost tender, checking rutabaga. Drain thoroughly.
  2. Meanwhile heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 8–10 minutes, turning, until several thick pieces reach 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a clean plate. Lower heat, melt sauce butter and cook onion 7–9 minutes until soft.
  3. Stir in 25 g sauce flour 1 minute, then gradually whisk in stock and 180 ml sauce milk. Add thyme, filling salt and pepper and simmer 3–4 minutes until thickened. Fold in chicken and drained roots and heat 2–3 minutes until steaming. Keep hot on low heat.
  4. Mix 180 g biscuit flour, baking powder and biscuit salt in the bowl. Rub in 40 g cold butter, leaving small flakes. Stir in 105 ml milk, then turn onto the 8 g shaping flour. Fold gently 2–3 times and pat 1/2 in/1.3 cm thick. Cut 12 rounds about 2 in/5 cm wide, re-forming scraps once.
  5. Spread hot filling in the dish. Arrange biscuits with gaps, sitting on top rather than pushed under. Bake 25–30 minutes until tops are golden, a central biscuit is cooked underneath and the filling reaches 165°F (74°C) in several places. Return to oven if dough is wet; shield the top loosely if needed. Rest 5 minutes and serve 2 biscuits with one-sixth filling per person.

Check the firmest root

A soft parsnip does not prove rutabaga is ready. Test one of its pieces before draining, while there is still an easy opportunity to simmer longer.

A useful detail

The 115-minute total includes peeling and dicing roots, their separate simmer, overlapping skillet work, shaping twelve biscuits and the full bake/rest. If the rutabaga dice are larger, their extra softening time is additional.

Another way

  • Replace 150 g rutabaga with 150 g peeled celeriac dice. Simmer until nearly tender with the other roots and update the celery-allergen label.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat filling and biscuits to 165°F (74°C), covering initially to limit drying. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator.