A couple of weekends ago, I was staring into a giant vat of blackberry jam in awe of my pioneering prowess. I had wandered into the woods with my husband, dog, and some buckets and then, just hours later, bubbling before me was my dark, sweet, and tangy victory goo. But one problem still persisted: How could I get my sugar denying husband to indulge in our berry bounty?
One word rang true and clear in my mind: Biscuits.
But, I couldn’t just make biscuits for biscuits sake. I’m an adult who, begrudgingly, understands I need actual nutrients and not just biscuits and jam (although, that would be amazing). I had to actually make a proper meal that biscuits would accompany and then entice him to try my homemade jam from our melted plunder. How could he say no to that? Hint: he didn’t.
So, I took some techniques I picked up from making my perfect Thanksgiving turkey, added plenty of veggies, made Bon Appetit’s perfect biscuits, and we enjoyed the perfect late summer harvest chicken dinner.
What’s on the Menu
Herb Roasted Chicken
Roasted Carrots and Leeks
Steamed Green Beans
Bon Appetit’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Perfect Pan Gravy
Blackberry Jam
Timing the Dinner
First: Make Jam - Either day before or earlier in the day so jam is set, cooled, and you’ve processed your jars.
Second: Make Biscuit Dough - Cover and keep in freezer until Chicken is ready to come out of the oven.
Third: Bird
Fourth: Bake Biscuits
Fifth: Steamed Green Beans - Place in steamer basket when biscuits go in
Finally: Pan Gravy
Herb Roasted Chicken + Veggies
Takes: 20 minutes Active, 2 Hours Inactive
Makes: 4-6 Servings
Mise: 3 lb Chicken, 1/2 cup butter, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, lemon, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 large leeks, 10-12 carrots, roast pan (I use a 4 qt cast iron dutch oven), meat thermometer.
1. Preheat the oven to 425*F and take the chicken out to come to room temp (30-60 mins).
Make the Herb Butter
2. Take 1/2 cup of softened butter and place in a bowl. Chop handful each of rosemary, sage, and parsley and add to butter bowl. Strip handful of thyme twigs and add leaves to bowl. Add 1 Tbs of Salt, 1/2 Tbs Pepper, the juice of large lemon wedge, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix to combine. Set Aside.
Note: if you want an extra citrus flavor, also add lemon zest
Prep the Vegetables
3. Peel the carrots and remove the tops and bottoms. Cut carrots into preferred shape- I like about an inch long Rolling Cut shapes. Just make sure they’re all about the same length/width so they’ll cook at the same time.
Note: Got some crazy carrots? Make the tops thick and short and the bottom’s longer. This will help even out the cook time.
4. Remove the very bottom and dark green tops of the leeks. Cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/2 inch half moons.
5. Place all vegetables into dutch oven. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prep the Bird
6. Take the chicken out of wrapping, remove giblets (save for other recipe or give to good dogs for dinner), and place chicken on paper towels. Dry completely. Then, place on vegetables in dutch oven.
7. Using your fingertips, begin separating the chicken skin from the breast by sliding your fingers under the skin starting from the cavity and moving up. Avoid breaking the skin!
8. Once the skin is separated, take a handful of herbed butter and place it under the skin. Spread it over the breast by holding the skin closed and smoothing the ball onto of the skin (it makes sense once you do it once!) Repeat until breasts are fully covered. Use rest of the butter to cover the top of the full chicken.
9. Fill the cavity with half of a lemon, half of an onion, stemmed herbs of your choice, and two garlic cloves. Season everything with salt and pepper, place whole stemmed herbs around chicken and in veg, and wedge as much garlic as you’d like in veg.
Cook the Chicken
10. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes at 425* then reduce heat to 350* and cook until thickest part of bird reads around 155*F. Then, remove from oven and let rest for 20 -25 minutes. Chicken will continue to heat to 165* while out of the oven but then settle, lock in the juices, and become absolutely perfect.
11. After chicken is out of the oven for about 5 minutes, place bird on serving tray, remove vegetables, discard the whole herbs and cavity fillings. Place dutch oven on stove to make pan gravy.
12. Once biscuits, gravy, and beans are done, cut chicken, serve, and enjoy!
The Perfect Pan Gravy
Takes: 15 minutes
Makes: So. Much. Gravy.
Mise: Dutch Oven from cooking chicken with chicken, veg and herbs removed. Keep all pan drippings in! 1/4 cup flour, 3-4 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup milk, salt, pepper.
1. Heat the pan drippings in your pan on medium heat then add in 1/4 cup flour. Using whisk, whisk constantly until flour is incorporated. When, continue whisking for 2-4 minutes while flour cooks making sure to scrape up all of the cooked on bits from the pan.
2. Slowly add warm chicken stock, while continuing to whisk, until gravy is smooth and almost thinned out. Continue to cook and stir for 2-4 minutes, gravy will continue to thicken.
3. Once gravy is cooked, covers the back of a spoon, and no longer tastes of flour, add in milk, generously season with salt and pepper. Pour into gravy boat. Serve.
*stock photo is used
Bon Appetit’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Takes: 35 minutes
Makes: 12 Biscuits
Mise: 2½ teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface, 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus more, melted, for brushing, 1 1/4 cup chilled buttermilk.
Follow this amazingly perfect recipe:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-buttermilk-biscuits
Note: I use a bit more buttermilk
Steamed Green Beans
Takes: 15 minutes
Makes: 4-6 servings
Mise: Aprox 1 lb of green beans, steamer basket, butter, pepper.
1. Place water in a pot, add about an inch of water. Bring to boil.
2. Rise green beans and remove any shriveled or bad beans. Snap ends off of beans. Place in a steamer basket
3. Place steamer basket in pot, cover for 10-15 minutes or until beans are just tender. Serve as is or toss with melted butter and black pepper.
Blackberry Jam
Takes: 15-20 minutes
Makes: Aprox 8 cups
Mise: 6 cups Blackberries, rinsed and drained, 1 package of Low Sugar Sure-Jell, 3 cups of Sugar, Salt, Lemon.
I use Sure-Jell Low Sugar and follow the recipe pretty exactly. https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/060546/surejell-for-less-no-sugar-needed-recipes-strawberry-jam
Note: I add about 1 tsp of Salt and the Juice of a large lemon wedge to enhance flavor.
Grocery List
Organized by Department because I’m not a Monster
3 lb Chicken, Whole
1.5 lbs Unsalted Butter
1.5 Cups Buttermilk
1/2c Milk
Parsley bundle, fresh
Sage bundle, fresh
Thyme bundle, fresh
Rosemary bundle, fresh
1-2 Lemon(s)
1 Large Head of Garlic
2 Large Leeks
1 Bag of Heirloom Carrots (10-12 ct)
1 lb Green Beans
6 cups Blackberries
40 oz Chicken Stock
Low Sugar Sure-Jell
Pantry List
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Sugar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
AP Flour
Special Equipment
Dutch Oven
Meat Thermometer
Steamer Basket
Canning/Jam Equipment