Chicken a la King

Ingredients:

Sauce and mushrooms

• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 tbsp. dry sherry
• 3 and 3/4 cups chicken broth, homemade or store-bought, lightly salted
• 6 sprigs + 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt + more to taste
• 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 220 g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into strips
• 0.5 cups crème fraîche or heavy cream
• 4 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes, recipe below
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• For serving: noodles in butter, toast, buns or pancakes

Boiled chicken

• 10 sprigs of parsley
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 1 small carrot, cut in half
• 1 stalk celery, cut in half
• 1.3 kg bone-in chicken breast halves, trim off fat
• 5-6 cups chicken broth, homemade or store-bought, lightly salted

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup butter and sauté the shallots until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. Add the sherry and stock, stirring, and bring to a boil. Add the parsley and thyme sprigs and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain the sauce into the skillet with the mushrooms and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the sour cream.
3. Add chopped parsley, chicken, and chives to the sauce and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over noodles, with toast, buns, or wrapped in crepes.
4. Boiled chicken:
   
   Place the parsley, thyme, onion, carrot, celery, and chicken breasts in a medium saucepan. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer the chicken for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and let the chicken rest in the broth for 30 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and set aside the broth. Remove the bones and skin from the chicken and cut the meat into cubes. Discard the bones and skin.
6. Strain the broth and store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for later use. Skim off any fat from the surface of the broth before using.