Chicken Vegetable Cobbler

There is something about the word "cobbler" that just makes me feel all warm and cozy and contented. Most of my cobbler recipes are for desserts - apple, peach, and so on. (And just so you know, I have a chocolate cobbler recipe waiting in my stack of "to be made one day soon" recipes. SOON. Very soon.)

Anyway, cobbler is something I usually associate with dessert, so when I came across this chicken recipe in Mark Bittman's fabulous video series, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Cobbler for dinner! NOW we're talking. First you cook up a heavenly, homey mixture of chicken, carrots and peas all in a creamy herby thick broth.

Then you top the whole thing with a buttery biscuit dough and pop it in the oven. By the time it is almost ready to come out, people and dogs will be drifting into your kitchen with happy and expectant looks on their faces. And really, isn't that one of the main reasons we make things like chicken cobbler in the first place? Yes it is. :-)

Chicken Vegetable Cobbler, adapted from The Minimalist

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek, washed and chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (I like Imagine brand)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 medium carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

1. Heat over to 400. Put oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add leek, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add stock and rosemary and bring to a boil. Add carrots and chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add peas and stir for one more minute. Remove rosemary and discard.

3. Whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cool water to make a slurry and add to skillet. Sir until liquid thickens, and then transfer the chicken mixture to an ovenproof casserole.

4. Put flour in food processor with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and mix in buttermil and egg until it comes together into a sticky dough.

5. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto chicken mixture and smooth with a knife, covering as much of the surface as you can. Leave a few holes for the steam to escape. Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Scoop onto plates or bowls and serve at once.

Click here for printable recipe