Help with Biscuits and Thickening a 'Gravy'
So, my great grandmother used to make what she called "creamed chicken and biscuits" when we were little (she was born in 1907 and died in 2004) and it was amazing. She only made it in the winter when it was cold enough for the stewed chicken to go in the garage overnight for the fat to harden. My bestest has been harping on me to re-create the dish, and, so far, I have made what I believe will be a good stock, based upon what I remember from my childhood "helping."
I used:
6 bone-in breasts
some backs and necks
coupla quarts of water
8 garlic cloves
2 whole onions
8 carrots
8 ribs of celery
kosher salt and whole peppercorns
Simmered for a few hours (barely a bubble breaking the surface) and I have it out in the garage (-22 degrees!) now. After I de-bone and shred the chicken, strain the stock, give the dog the vegetables, I am at a loss as to how to thicken it. I dont remember what she did, all I remember is the chicken was shredded finely and ladled over hot buttered biscuits with a glorious creamy gravy.
Ideas to thicken?
Anyone else ever eaten and/or made something like this?
And lastly, I SUCK at baking. Anyone have some really easy hopefully drop type biscuits out there? I have buttermilk!
I know this was a long post and I'm sure I'm going to get yipped at by the mod-dogs, but it was a little walk down memory lane for me...hopefully someone else will walk too!
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10 Comments:
@Chelley~yup, my husband loves this stuff, so we're walkin' with you. I personally would thicken it with a roux, but my grandma was all about the flour slurry. If you use a slurry make sure you whisk it really well before adding or pour it through a sieve when adding to the stock and still whisk well to avoid those darn lumps.
In the past I have sometimes pureed some of the onion and carrots and added it to the gravy to add body and flavor, but occasionally that's made it sweeter than I would like.
I happen to be a fan of thyme, so I usually add a bit of that and sometimes some sage.
A few minutes before serving, after the chicken has been added, I add some cream to taste and a pat of butter. Of course there's the usual s&p mandatory thing going on throughout the process. And for biscuits, try these:
http://simplycooking.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/best-drop-buttermilk-biscuits/
Hey, did your grandmother chill the stewed chicken overnight merely to have an easier way to grab the fat off the top and dispose of it, or to let the flavors meld, or too grab that fat and use it for another purpose. One thing I love about "old school cooking" is that very little is wasted.
Not to be preachy, but, do you and your dog a favor--don't give him/her the onions or garlic. For some it can be poisonous--probably due to the the amount consumed, the weight of the dog and particular breed. Our Golden has consumed these things, unfortunately, in small amounts in dishes from friends thinking they were being friendly. But my word, the air pollution from her butt after these occurences litteraly made my eyes water.
dhorst at 9:11PM on 01/18/09
@dhorst...Im not sure what the rationale was with the putting it in the garage overnight, but it was a must do thing. The same with lemon meringue pie. She would make the lemon filling in the old heavy pink club pan and then put it in the garage to cool before filling the shell. I do know that she did save the fat and bacon fat in an old white coffee cup in the fridge. Sigh.
As far as the dog and the onions/garlic, Samantha Jane wont touch em. The rest of the celery and carrots she gobbles down but never a mushroom or onion. Picky bitch! I will also point out that I also have a pot of turkey livers and hearts that I simmered all day in beef stock with carrots and celery just for her cooling in the garage. Sad. So, so, SO sad.
ChelleyD01 at 9:27PM on 01/18/09
Oh, my. Chelley, you have one smart bitch! She knows what might make her sick! Lucky duck with that treat awaiting. My girl is still learning and while she's generally such a good girl, but Miss Ellie, also known as The Bean, grabbed a stick of butter off the counter yesterday. She did drop it, once I had her cornered, but jeez, what a whirlwind of a chase.
My guess with the garage overnight in the winter was simply a lack of fridge space and chilling it makes it so easy to grab the coagulated mass of fat off the top. Love the visual image of the "old heavy pink club pan" and hey a chilled filling is less likely to make a crust soggy, so she was a wise cook. "she saved the fat and bacon fat in an old white coffee cup in the fridge. Sigh." I'll sigh with you; my grandma did those same things. Pass those treasured memories on to whoever you can. Would you believe that we have an 1800's cookie recipe that is still used and has been treasured throughout the years?
dhorst at 9:45PM on 01/18/09
collect the fat off the top of the chilled stock and use it to make a roux (equal parts fat and flour-by wieght) to thicken the gravy. that way you add another layer to the chicken flavor.
coolname at 10:05PM on 01/18/09
@dhorst...I have her recipe box (tin) and mountains of hand written recipes. Some of them say "lard" (crossed out) "spry" (crossed out) "crisco" (crossed out) "margarine" (crossed out) and finally butter underlined a few times.
God, this is a hell of an emotional thread for me!
ChelleyD01 at 10:18PM on 01/18/09
@Chelley~yeah, this thread has me in that mood too. Love those old hand written, grease or whatever stained recipe cards/paper. My grandma is blind and in a nursing home and my mom always tells me what things she's doing with Gram. Mom's there twice a day and has just been reading her Marley and Me. Best Gram's spirits have been in a while. My grandpa was a dairy farmer, so cheese and pats of real butter and icecream dominate my grandparent memories. In fact, saltines were always spread with butter for a bed time snack or farm fresh (that day) eggs were scrambled and always topped off with a pat of fresh butter.
dhorst at 10:59PM on 01/18/09
before, i thought i could just offer some good advice. but now this is getting coincidental. my dad is the only one who ever made me biscuits and gravy. and until now i thought he and i were the only ones eating saltines with butter. i won't be seeing him for quite some time (i'm moving overseas) and i really miss him already
coolname at 12:11AM on 01/19/09
@coolname~biscuits and gravy, saltines with butter...not only yummm, but hey, it's a nice way to connect long distance, through food. Where are ya headed overseas? I spent a mere semester overseas, many years ago and while it seemed like forever, it was one of the best times of my life. My husband is on an extended trip to China, Vietnam, and Australia right now, and I'm sure he would love it if I could spread some butter on a saltine for him....but for now the slim jims he took with him will just have to do.
dhorst at 6:45AM on 01/19/09
My mom used to make "the white dinner". It was stewed chicken - hand-shredded - with mashed potatoes, homemade waffles and a cream gravy, that she thickened with a cornstarch slurry. We loved it and it was a once-per-year winter dish. Even my dad liked it and boy, was he a picky eater; we had something different almost every night of the week. He didn't like eating leftovers for days on end, so we grew up with quite a variety. We also ate saltines spread with butter and homemade biscuits and handmade noodles. Sure miss some of that stuff!.
duncan1205 at 12:56PM on 01/19/09
@dhorst....made the gravy by mixing the melted skimmed fat from the stock and flour then wisking the hell out of it into the hot stock. Added a splash of half and half at the end and I damn near shed a tear.
I also made the buttermilk drop biscuits you linked me to. Absolutely fantastic. Thats been added to the collection inside my cupboard door! I plan on adding 1/4 cup of sugar to them and making a shortcakey kind of biscuit for fruit and whipped cream!!!
Thank you so much for walking down memory lane with me and for giving me such an easy biscuit!
ChelleyD01 at 8:27PM on 01/19/09