Chicken Cobbler Recipe with Sourdough Discard
This chicken cobbler recipe with sourdough discard is a cosy, family-style dinner with tender chicken, comforting vegetables, and a soft sourdough cobbler topping. It’s simple, hearty, and perfect for those chilly evenings when you want to gather everyone around the table.
Ingredients
- For the chicken filling:
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg skinless boneless chicken thighs (cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 4 large carrots cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 2 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 750 ml stock or bone broth
- 400 g button or chestnut mushrooms halved
For the sourdough cobbler topping:
- 300 g whole grain flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 85 g butter
- 1-2 tsp herbes de Provence
- 100 g sourdough discard
- 100 ml milk
- 1 tsp apple cidre vinegar
- Extra milk to glaze or egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare the Filling:
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet, oven proof pan or large saucepan. Add the chicken and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the chicken - fry in batches if necessary. Do not stir too often, this may make the chicken release water.
- When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and fry for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and celery and fry for a minute or so. Then add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan and coat the meat and veg with the arrowroot. Cook gently for 1 minute.
- Add salt, thyme, pepper, bay leaf and stock/broth. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the stew is simmering, fry the mushrooms on medium high for 5 minutes with 1/2 tsp salt until they start to release their juices.
- Add the fried mushrooms to the stew and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- If you didn't use a cast iron skillet or an oven proof pan, pour the chicken filling into a baking dish.
- Prepare the topping:
- While the filling is simmering, prepare the topping.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
- Heat the milk until lukewarm and add the vinegar to the milk so that the milk curdles. Leave to cool.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and herbs in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by rubbing the mixture with your finger tips.
- When the flour and butter mixture resembles bread crumbs add the milk mixture, sourdough discard. Mix until the dough only just comes together. Be careful not to over mix as this will make the topping tough. The dough will be quite dry, this is normal.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Using a round 6.5 cm (2.5 inch) cookie cutter cut the dough into rounds.
- Assemble the cobbler:
- Remove the bay leaf from the filling. Arrange the dough rounds on top of the hot chicken filling, brush with some extra milk or an egg wash (1 beaten egg diluted with a splash of water) and bake at 200°C fan for 20-25 mins or until the topping is golden brown.
Notes
I like to make the dough for the cobbler topping in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but you can also easily make it by hand.
Leave the dough to ferment in the fridge for several hours before baking for optimal health benefits.