Nostalgia comes in many forms. For Griff, who was born in Minnesota the capital of the hot dish nothing is more comforting than a warm casserole. With that memory in mind, he makes a chicken cobbler that hits the sweet spot where the chicken and vegetables are seasoned just right. Instead of using a traditional potpie crust, he tops it off with our buttery biscones.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 cups reduced-sodium canned chicken broth
- 3 peeled carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 celery ribs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 5 cups store-bought roasted chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces (one 2-pound chicken)
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- One 8-ounce package frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 1 teaspoon fennel pollen
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
For the Topping
- 1 recipe Buttermilk Biscones, made without the dried fruit, egg wash, and sanding sugar, unbaked
- ¼ cup buttermilk
How to Make It
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish.
- To make the filling: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper, lower the heat to low-medium, partially cover the pot, and simmer, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, raise the heat to medium, and cook, covered, until all the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blend the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the flour in a small bowl to make a smooth paste.
- When the vegetables are tender, lower the heat and whisk the flour paste bit by bit into the broth until combined. Add the roasted chicken, peas, corn, pearl onions, fennel pollen, thyme, sage, cayenne, and nutmeg, cover the pot, and let the filling simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish. Arrange the unbaked biscones over the filling, leaving about ¼ inch between them. Brush the biscones with the buttermilk and bake for 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
