Chicken à la King

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide saucepan or Dutch oven for poaching
• •12-inch skillet
• •Wooden spoon
• •Whisk
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Place chicken breasts in a wide saucepan and cover with the chicken stock. Add the bay leaf and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. You want lazy bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Poach for 18 to 22 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the meat is cooked through but still moist. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve 2 cups of the poaching liquid. Discard the bay leaf.

   A gentle poach keeps the chicken tender. If your liquid boils aggressively, the protein fibers tighten and you'll end up with stringy meat.
2. 2

   Dice the chicken

   Once rested, cut the chicken into generous half-inch cubes. Don't shred it. Chicken à la King should have distinct, fork-ready pieces that hold their shape in the sauce. Set aside and cover loosely to keep warm.

3. 3

   Sauté the mushrooms

   Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Don't crowd them. Let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes until golden on the bottom, then stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until browned on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. The mushrooms should smell earthy and look caramelized, not pale and soggy.

   Mushrooms release moisture when crowded. Cook them in batches if your skillet isn't large enough to hold them in a single layer.
4. 4

   Build the roux

   In the same skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 full minutes. The roux should turn a pale blonde color and smell faintly nutty. This cooking eliminates the raw flour taste that ruins so many cream sauces.

5. 5

   Create the velouté base

   Slowly whisk in the reserved poaching liquid, adding it in three additions and whisking thoroughly after each. Work out every lump before adding more liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clean line when you draw your finger through it. The transformation from thin liquid to glossy sauce happens gradually. Patience.

6. 6

   Add the cream and sherry

   Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and dry sherry. Let the sauce simmer gently for another 3 to 4 minutes. It should be velvety and just thick enough to nap the chicken without being gluey. Taste and adjust salt. The sherry should be present but not dominant. If you can't taste it at all, add another tablespoon.

7. 7

   Temper the egg yolks

   In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice. Ladle about half a cup of the hot sauce into the bowl while whisking constantly. This tempers the yolks so they won't scramble when added to the pot. Pour the tempered mixture back into the skillet, whisking steadily. The sauce will turn glossy and slightly richer in color. Do not let it boil from this point forward or the yolks will curdle.

   The egg yolk liaison is traditional and gives the sauce its characteristic richness. You can skip it for a lighter version, but you'll sacrifice some of that old-fashioned elegance.
8. 8

   Combine and finish

   Fold in the diced chicken, sautéed mushrooms, pimientos, and peas. Stir gently to coat everything in the sauce. Let it warm through over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. The peas should turn bright green and the chicken should absorb some of the sauce. Add the cayenne and taste once more for seasoning. The finished dish should be creamy, savory, with just enough acid from the lemon to lift everything.

9. 9

   Serve with ceremony

   Spoon generous portions over crisp toast points or into warm puff pastry shells. Scatter fresh parsley over each serving. Bring it to the table while the sauce is still glossy and pooling invitingly. This is a dish that deserves good china and cloth napkins, even on a Tuesday night.

Chef Tips

• •Use a dry sherry like Fino or Manzanilla. Cooking sherry from the grocery store contains added salt and an unpleasant chemical taste. If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.
• •The poaching liquid from this recipe makes an excellent base for soup. Freeze what you don't use for the sauce.
• •For toast points, remove crusts from good white bread, cut diagonally into triangles, brush with melted butter, and bake at 375°F until golden. They should shatter slightly when you bite through.
• •A crisp Vouvray or off-dry Riesling pairs beautifully with the cream sauce and sherry notes.
• •Leftover Chicken à la King makes an outstanding filling for savory crêpes the next day.

Advance Preparation

• •The entire dish can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of cream or stock to loosen the sauce. Do not boil or the egg yolks will break.
• •Chicken can be poached and cubed up to 1 day ahead. Store covered in a little of the poaching liquid to keep it moist.
• •Mushrooms can be sautéed earlier in the day and held at room temperature.
• •Toast points can be made several hours ahead and stored in an airtight container. Re-crisp in a 350°F oven for 3 minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 265g)