Chicken-Mushroom Fricasee over Biscuits

Ingredients

• 1 whole roasted chicken
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 4 strips bacon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 8 large biscuits, split in half, for serving
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnishing, optional

Directions

De-bone chicken and tear meat into large, bite-size pieces. Place chicken carcass and skin in a medium saucepan and add 4 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve. Discard solids and reserve stock; you should have about 3 1/2 cups. If not, add enough water to bring level up to 3 1/2 cups.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove bacon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Add the butter to the rendered bacon fat in the skillet and, when melted, add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft and lightly golden around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and continue to cook, stirring, until flour is a medium brown color, slightly darker than peanut butter. Add the stock and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and smooth, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they release their liquid and begin to break down slightly and the sauce is a nice consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook just until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve ladled over split hot biscuits. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions, if desired.