Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Chicken à la Queen


Monica made this soup for us in October, and I have finally gotten around to make it on my own. Oh, it is so good. A great fall/winter soup to keep you all warm inside. It takes time to prepare, but it is well worth it!

Ingredients
  • 8 puff pastry shells, such as Pepperidge Farm brand
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 ribs celery from the heart with leafy tops, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 fresh bay leaf (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, then cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle
  • 1 cup frozen baby peas
  • 5-6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped (optional)
Preparation

Pre-heat oven according to package directions for puff pastry shells. Arrange shells on a nonstick baking sheet, then place in oven. Bake until golden, remove from oven and let cool.

Place a large (BIG!) deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add celery, onion, carrots and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for about 6-7 minutes, until they become tender. Add the red bell pepper and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Scoot the veggies over to the sides of the skillet and add the butter to the center of the skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in chicken stock. Bring the liquids up to bubble, reduce heat to simmer and poach the chicken for 7-8 minutes.

Add in the asparagus and simmer for 2 minutes more. Add peas and tarragon and stir to combine. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Turn off heat.

Place 1 pastry shell in a bowl and ladle the chicken mixture down over the top of the shell. Garnish with pastry lid top and serve.

There is lots of this soup- perfect for leftovers or for a full-family meal. You will want to make this over, and over, and over, and over...get the picture?!?

Monica's link: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1184


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