———————–MICHAEL’S PLACE #ML1A12———————–
1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) chicken
Water to cover
2 ts Coarse salt
2 Bay leaves
1 ts Whole white peppercorns
2 ts Each dry rosemary and thyme
1 sm Onion, peeled and studded
With 6 cloves
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Stalks celery, washed and
Diced
1 Leek, washed and diced
———————MUSHROOM AND TARRAGON CREAM———————
Reserved chicken cooking
Liquid
3 Carrots sliced, about 3/4
Cup
2 Stalks celery, diced, about
1/2 Cup
1 tb Sweet butter
2 tb Finely chopped shallots
1 lb Mixed exotic mushrooms,
Sliced and broken by hand
1 c Heavy cream
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
Reserved chicken meat
1/4 c Chopped fresh tarragon
Leaves
-POT PIE TOPS-
1 1/2 c Sifted allpurpose unbleached
Flour
1 tb Granulated sugar
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 c Buttermilk
1/4 c Heavy cream
5 tb Cold unsalted butter, cut
Into very small pieces
1 tb Melted butter
Wash the chicken under cold water. Tie the bay leaves, peppercorns,
rosemary and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth as a sachet
garni. Put the chicken into a pot large enough to hold it, cover with
cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15
minutes, carefully skimming off any scum and grease that accumulates
on the surface of the water. Add the salt, sachet garni and onion,
carrot, celery and leek, return to the boil, reduce again to a strong
simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Turn off the heat and cool the chicken in the broth in an ice water
bath. When thoroughly cold, remove the chicken and strip off all of
the skin and discard. Strip the meat from the bones, and shred using
scrupulously clean hands and work station. Strain the liquid, discard
the vegetables and the bouquet garni.
EXOTIC MUSHROOMS AND TARRAGON CREAM: Place the chicken broth in a 4
quart casserole and bring to the boil. Add the carrots and celery and
simmer for 10 minutes. Mean put he butter in a saute pan and begin to
cook the shallots over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and
cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the cream to the pot over
broth and vegetables and then add the sauteed mushrooms to the pot.
Simmer this for 5 minutes before adding the chicken and continuing to
cook for 20 minutes. Add the tarragon and place into single serving
crocks or bowls and top each one with a biscuit.
POT PIE TOPS: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the
flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. After the dry ingredients are
thoroughly blended, add the buttermilk, cream and combine. Add the
cold butter in rapid succession, combining only briefly, to leave the
mixture as mealy as possible. Scrape this lumpy dough onto a lightly
floured board and flatten gently with a rolling pin into a rectangle
shape approximately 1-inch thick. Cut into 4 or 6 equal rounds. Brush
a cookie sheet lightly with melted butter, place the rounds on the
sheet and place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator to rest for 20
minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the chilled
shortcakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are nicely browned.
Nutritional information per serving: xx calories, xx gm protein, xxx
mg cholesterol, xx gm carbohydrate, xxx mg sodium, x gm fiber, xx gm
fat (x gm sat, x gm mono, x gm poly), x mg iron, xx mg calcium, xx%
of calories from fat.
Brought to you by MMCONV and Sylvia Steiger, SylviaRN (at) compuserve
(dot) com (change characters as needed, this is to prevent bulk
E-mailers from capturing my address), moderator of GT Cookbook and
FringeNet Lowfat & Luscious echoes. For breadmachine tips and mixes,
visit my homepage:
Yields
4 servings