Ingredients
-
1 young Broiler
-
2 medium Yellow Onions
-
2 medium Celery Ribs
-
2 large sprigs fresh Italian Parsley
-
2 large sprigs fresh Thyme
-
2 large whole Bay leaves
-
1 slice of Lemon
-
10 Black Peppercorns
-
1⁄2 teaspoon Salt
-
1 can (14 ounces) Chicken broth
-
5 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
-
3 tablespoons all-purpose Flour
-
1 cup heavy Cream
-
8 large Egg
Directions
Back when we were an English colony, this Virginia recipe would have begun with a young barnyard fowl—killed, plucked, eviscerated, and readied for the pot. I have some notion of what that involved because during World War II we kept chickens for eggs and for eating. Even though I was a little girl at the time, one of my jobs was to keep the flock fed and watered. Another job, which I hated, was to catch a bird, dispatch it, and deliver it to my mother to be cooked. How easy it is for us today with supermarkets carrying prepackaged, ready-to-eat whole birds, disjointed birds, even chicken parts and “scaloppini.” Harder to come by are young broilers weighing 3 to 3½ pounds. Tip: Head to the deli counter and “sweet-talk” the person running the rotisserie into selling you an uncooked broiler. He (or she) may even disjoint it for you. Mine does.
Steps
|
1
Done
|
Place chicken in large, heavy, broad-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven, add next nine ingredients (onions through broth mixture), and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat so liquid bubbles gently, cover, and cook 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is tender. Toward end of cooking preheat oven to 350°F. |
|
2
Done
|
With tongs or large slotted spoon, lift chicken pieces to several thicknesses paper toweling to drain. Strain stock (cooking liquid), discarding solids. Reserve 2½ cups strained stock for sauce and freeze the rest to use another day. |
|
3
Done
|
Arrange chicken pieces in ungreased 2½-quart casserole and set aside. |
|
4
Done
|
Melt butter in medium-size heavy saucepan over moderate heat, blend in flour, and cook and stir 1 minute. Add 2½ cups reserved chicken stock and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly thickened and smooth. Mix in heavy cream. Blend about 1 cup hot sauce into beaten eggs, stir mixture back into pan, then cook and stir 2 minutes. Do not boil or sauce may curdle. |
|
5
Done
|
Pour sauce evenly over chicken. Set casserole in large shallow roasting pan on pulled-out shelf in lower third of oven, and add enough boiling water to pan to come 1½ inches up sides of casserole. |
|
6
Done
|
Gently slide shelf back into oven and bake chicken pudding uncovered about 40 minutes until lightly browned and set like custard; a cake tester, inserted in middle of sauce, should come out clean. |
|
7
Done
|
Serve at table and accompany with steamed broccoli florets, asparagus spears, or green beans. |
