If you don't already know, Chicken A La King is one of the tastiest, comforting dishes you can make at home. It goes as far back as 1893, when it was fist mentioned in the New York Times, and no one can agree on which King this tasty dish was named after. All I know is I grew up eating this, my mum grew up eating this, and my grand-ma grew up eating this. Now its one of my Husband's favourite dishes, although he calls it chicken and white sauce - but we'll forgive his Chicken A La King etiquette as his enthusiasm when eating this meal makes me feel like the greatest cook on earth.
For those of you looking for the original or chef approved way of making this dish, the recipe isn't for you. If you're looking for the easiest way to recreate this dish with not much effort, while being easy on the wallet then scroll away my friends!
Ingredients to serve 2-3 people:
350g grams of chicken meat - this can be breast or thighs
1 medium sized onion
1 red pepper
1 medium sized potato
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup (Heinz is my favourite)
60 grams of butter (unsalted or salted whichever is fine - although I tend to use salted)
1/2 tablespoon of Chicken Knorr reduced salt stock granules (if you can't find this, just use a teaspoon of salt)
Half a teaspoon of ground white pepper
1 tablespoon of cornflour
Oregano
Salt and black pepper
You can substitute veggies based on your tastes. Some people (like my mum) add carrots and mushrooms, some add celery, some don't use potatoes. But because I don't like celery an mushrooms, I leave them out, and i'm also too lazy to peel carrots and potatoes, so just stick to the latter.
Prepare all your ingredients starting with the onions and peppers. Slice these into rough squares. Peel the potatoes and cut these into medium sized cubes. Slice your chicken into roughly 1.5 inch long chunky pieces and put into a bowl. Season the chicken with the chicken stock granules (or salt), ground white pepper and add the cornflour. Mix until all the chicken is coated.
Heat a saucepan (larger than 20cm) or a saute pan over medium heat. When the pan is simmering, add with a knob of butter, allow it to melt and brown slightly before adding the onions and peppers. You want to cook these until they soften and lightly brown. When ready, scoop these up into a bowl and set aside. Add another knob of butter to the already hot pan and add in the potato cubes. All we want is to get a bit of colour on them, and add some butter flavour to the potatoes. Cook for 3 mins while occasionally turning over to get an all over colour. Scoop these up and set aside. Make sure your pan is hot, and add the remaining butter. Toss in your seasoned chicken, ensuring that each piece is flat on the pan and cooking evenly. Leave this to cook for 2-3 mins. Then turn the pieces over and let them cook for another minute or so. You can now add back in the onion, peppers and potatoes to the pan. Mix the ingredients together. Now add your can of Cream of Chicken soup - this will be the basis of the sauce. Mix thoroughly while adding half a can of water. Sprinkle a touch of oregano, and cracked black pepper, and mix again. Cover the pan with a lid, and, turn the fire to a low-medium setting. Let it simmer for 10-15 mins until you have a creamy consistency. Have a little taste, you can always add a sprinkle of salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. Turn off the fire and pour into your choice of stylish crockery!
This dish goes great with rice, however you can also have it with pasta, or some crusty bread. In the photo I have served it with a delicious and healthy side of wok fried garlic pak choi (the recipe can be found here)
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