Chicken and Asparagus Cobbler

Cobbler refers to a variety of dishes consisting of a fruit or savoury filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a layer of uncooked plain scones, which is fitted together. Baked in an oven and when completely cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street.

Chicken and Asparagus ingredients serve 8

900 g chicken breast and thigh cut into chunks

1 tin (340g) asparagus

750 ml chicken stock

1 onion (200g)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp white ground pepper

½ tsp ground nutmeg

20 g freshly chopped parsley

2 tbls butter (40g)

4 tbls cornflour (28g)

250 ml cream

Method

Melt butter in saucepan, sweat onion until soft and glazy, add chicken on high heat and cook until brown approx 10 min. Reduce heat to medium and add asparagus, salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley and cream. Blend chicken stock and cornflour and add to the pot while stirring, bring to boil and simmer for 5 min. while stirring.

Allow cooling before pouring into a baking dish and refrigerate.

Cobbler topping ingredients

450 g self raising flour

1 tsp salt (6g)

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp white ground pepper

100 g butter

200 g milk

100 g cream

80 g shredded cheddar cheese

10 g finely chopped parsley

Method

Preheat oven to 190ºC. Place flour, salt, nutmeg, pepper in a bowl and combine, add butter and mix until butter is rubbed into the flour. In another bowl blend milk, cream, cheese and parsley and mix into the flour mix until combined, don’t over mix which will make the dough tough. Place on a workbench dusted with flour and roll or press out to a thickness of approx 2 cm. Cut with a 3 cm scones cutter and place on top of the cooled chicken and asparagus mix.  Place the finished dish in the oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes.

Note: Substitute parsley with chopped chives or shallots.