Chef John's Chicken a la King

Chicken à la King is one of my favorite classic comfort foods. This recipe is easy to adapt--you can make it thicker or thinner by changing the amount of roux and having a little extra stock on hand. Usually I make this with leftovers from a large roasted chicken. Serve over pasta, toast, rice, or mashed potatoes.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 583 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ pound sliced mushrooms
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 1 cup diced sweet bell peppers
• 3 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• ⅓ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
• 4 cups cubed roasted chicken
• Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and salt. Saute until mushrooms release their moisture. Continue cooking until moisture evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add shallots; cook and stir just until shallots soften, 3 or 4 minutes.

Step 2

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in flour to coat the mushrooms; cook until flour begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes, to form roux. Add peppers; cook and stir about 1 minute. Pour in sherry wine; allow to sizzle about 30 seconds. Stir in stock. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. When it starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

Step 3

Stir in thyme, parsley, cream, and chicken. Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed. Top each serving with some chopped fresh chives.