=== FOR FILLING ===
2 Whole Chicken breasts with
-skin and bones; – (1 lb ea)
1/4 lb Pearl onions – (abt 1 cup);
-unpeeled
2 md Carrots; peeled, and
Cut 1/4″-thick pieces
2 Celery ribs; halved
-lengthwise,
And cut 1/4″-thick pieces
1/2 c Frozen peas; thawed
1/4 lb Mushrooms – (abt 8); sliced
-thin
2 tb Olive oil
1/4 c Finely-chopped shallots
1 Bay leaf
1/4 ts Dried thyme; crumbled
1/4 ts Dried tarragon; crumbled
1/4 c All-purpose flour
1/3 c Dry white wine
2 1/2 c Low-salt chicken broth
Freshly-grated nutmeg; to
-taste
Salt; to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper;
-to taste
1 tb Medium-dry sherry
=== FOR MASHED POTATOES ===
1 1/2 lb Russet; (baking) potatoes
1/4 c Low-fat sour cream
2 tb Minced fresh chives -; (to 3
-tbspns)
Make filling: In a 5-quart saucepan bring 3 quarts water to a boil.
Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat
and let stand 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl, discarding
cooking liquid, and cool. Discard skin and bones. Cut chicken into
3/4-inch cubes and return to bowl. In a 3-quart saucepan bring 2
quarts water to a boil and cook onions until tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water,
reserving cooking liquid in pan. Cut root ends off onions and peel.
Add onions to chicken. Return reserved cooking liquid to a boil and
cook carrots and celery until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain
carrots and celery and add with peas to chicken mixture. In pan cook
mushrooms in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over moderate heat, stirring,
until softened and golden brown and all liquid they give off is
evaporated and add to chicken mixture. In pan cook shallots with bay
leaf, thyme, and tarragon in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
over moderately-low heat, stirring, until soft and pale golden and
stir in flour. Cook mixture, stirring, 3 minutes (it will look
crumbly) and gradually whisk in wine, broth, nutmeg, and salt and
pepper to taste. Simmer sauce 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, and
whisk in sherry. Discard bay leaf. Pour sauce over chicken mixture
and stir until combined well. Filling may be made 1 day ahead,
cooled, uncovered, and chilled, covered. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Make mashed potatoes: Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a
saucepan cover potatoes with water by 1 inch simmer until very
tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Reserve about 1/3 cup cooking liquid and
drain potatoes. In batches force potatoes through a ricer or food
mill fitted with medium disk into a bowl and stir in sour cream,
chives, salt and pepper to taste, and enough reserved cooking liquid
to reach a fluffy consistency. Transfer potatoes to a pastry bag
fitted with a 1/2-inch fluted tip. Spread filling in a 1 1/2- to
2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Pipe mashed
potatoes decoratively in mounds on filling and bake in middle of oven
until filling is bubbling and potatoes are golden on edges, about 25
minutes. This recipe yields 4 servings.
Yields
4 servings