The cookbook I am in the process of putting together for my mom will have mostly recipes from my maternal grandmother. As I've mentioned on a previous post, I do plan on including recipes from my immediate family as well. It's a pretty gloomy day today and I have been craving some serious comfort food. Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl full of my dad's chicken a la king: Chunks of white meat chicken, peas and carrots and a creamy gravy that was piled high over white rice. It's the perfect dish for a January night.
This dish was a favorite of mine throughout my childhood. My dad loved to cook and did so every weekend while he played his favorite old vinyl records: ABBA, Zorba the Greek, and Blackwatch (Scottish Bagpipes). I remember standing at the stove next to my dad as he made the roux, added the stock and milk and later the cooked chicken and the vegetables. I have seen many recipes for this dish and most of them call for red bell peppers. I don't recall my dad adding them to his recipe. He's not around to ask, but I'm assuming he thought that peppers would be to sophisticated to introduce to a child. I'm used to it the way he made it: simple, creamy and delicious.
I started to get out some cookbooks to get some sort of "baseline" or a place to start. It just frustrated me so I relied on my common sense and my memories. This is my first attempt at re-creating my dad's famous dish. I plan on freezing a portion to bring to my brothers' homes to get their opinions on how close I am to the real deal. I'm sure there will be some tweaking needed, but here's the first run:
Dad's Chicken a la King
2 8-ounce chicken cutlets
4-6 carrots, chopped
1 medium white onion
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 10-ounce box of frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until nearly translucent. Add the chopped carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper the raw chicken chunks and add to pot, saute until browned.
Add the remaining butter and the flour to the pot and mix well, making sure all of the flour is coated with the butter. Stir for 1-2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste out of it. Add the stock and continue to stir. Bring to a boil. Add the thyme and some salt & pepper.
Stir in the milk (you can substitute heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 if you prefer) and cook on the stovetop until the carrots are tender and the chicken chunks are cooked through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
This dish was a favorite of mine throughout my childhood. My dad loved to cook and did so every weekend while he played his favorite old vinyl records: ABBA, Zorba the Greek, and Blackwatch (Scottish Bagpipes). I remember standing at the stove next to my dad as he made the roux, added the stock and milk and later the cooked chicken and the vegetables. I have seen many recipes for this dish and most of them call for red bell peppers. I don't recall my dad adding them to his recipe. He's not around to ask, but I'm assuming he thought that peppers would be to sophisticated to introduce to a child. I'm used to it the way he made it: simple, creamy and delicious.
I started to get out some cookbooks to get some sort of "baseline" or a place to start. It just frustrated me so I relied on my common sense and my memories. This is my first attempt at re-creating my dad's famous dish. I plan on freezing a portion to bring to my brothers' homes to get their opinions on how close I am to the real deal. I'm sure there will be some tweaking needed, but here's the first run:
Dad's Chicken a la King
2 8-ounce chicken cutlets
4-6 carrots, chopped
1 medium white onion
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 10-ounce box of frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until nearly translucent. Add the chopped carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper the raw chicken chunks and add to pot, saute until browned.
Add the remaining butter and the flour to the pot and mix well, making sure all of the flour is coated with the butter. Stir for 1-2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste out of it. Add the stock and continue to stir. Bring to a boil. Add the thyme and some salt & pepper.
Stir in the milk (you can substitute heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 if you prefer) and cook on the stovetop until the carrots are tender and the chicken chunks are cooked through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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