Chicken à la King
While we prefer chicken thigh fillets over breast meat, the latter was used here because it is easier to cut into uniform sizes. But because it is a lean cut of meat, we took extra care not to overcook it. The technique used here is to simmer the chicken for a short time, turn off the stove and allow it to finish cooking in the residual heat.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast fillets about 500 grams total weight
- salt
- pepper
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 300 grams fresh button mushrooms diced
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup sweet peas
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Boil three to four cups of water in a pot with a teaspoon of salt and a generous pinch of pepper.
- Slide in the chicken breast fillets.
- When the water boils once more, set the heat to low and cover the pot.
- Cook the chicken for ten minutes then turn off the heat and let the chicken continue cooking in the residual heat for another ten minutes.
- Scoop out the chicken and cool; reserve the broth.
- Cut the chicken into-half-inch cubes.
- Melt the butter in a shallow pan.
- Add the flour, all at once, and stir quickly to remove lumps.
- Over medium heat, cook the roux for two to three minutes.
- Add the bell peppers, stir and cook for 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in one cup of the reserved broth, stirring as you pour.
- Stir in the diced mushrooms.
- Pour in the milk.
- Stir in the cubed chicken.
- If there is too little sauce or if the sauce is too thick for your liking, add more broth and milk.
- Stir in the sweet peas.
- Bring to a simmer, taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve your chicken a la king with rice, noodles or bread.