Chicken Tetrazini
Submitted by oralia
Classic chicken tetrazzini from scratch. A whole chicken simmers into rich broth that becomes the base of a sherry cream sauce layered with spaghetti, mushrooms, and parmesan.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsNamed after the Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, this dish is meant to be a showstopper. And this version earns the name.
A whole chicken simmers for nearly two hours until tender, yielding both the meat and a rich homemade stock.
That stock gets transformed into a velvety cream sauce with butter, flour, half and half, and a generous pour of sherry.
Spaghetti broken into bite-sized pieces, a pound of butter-sauteed mushrooms, and big chunks of chicken all get layered under the sauce, then crowned with parmesan and baked until golden and bubbling.
Pro Tips
- Chill the stock before using it so you can easily lift off the fat layer for a cleaner sauce
- Break the spaghetti into one-inch pieces; it folds into the sauce much better than long strands
- Add the cream slowly to the hot roux to prevent lumps from forming
- A full pound of mushrooms seems like a lot, but they shrink dramatically and add incredible depth
Ingredients
Directions
Cut up chicken and simmer in water to cover.
Add salt (one half teaspoon), three cut up celery stems and ½ medium onion.
Simmer until tender (about 1½ to 2 hours).
Strain and chill stock.
Remove chicken from bones in large pieces.
Cut large pieces in 2 x 2 inch pieces.
This should yield about four cups of meat.
When stock has cooled, remove fat and measure three cups.
Add water if necessary.
-Sauce-
Melt butter and fry celery and onion until transparent (do not overcook).
Add flour and seasoning and stir until well blended.
Add stock slowly, stirring constantly.
Bring to boiling point and boil for 2 minutes while stirring.
Add cream very slowly.
-Tetrazzini-
Break spaghetti into one inch pieces and cook and drain.
Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in butter.
Season sauce with sherry.
Place spaghetti in shallow baking dish which has been buttered.
Pour half of sauce over spaghetti.
Put in a layer of chicken, then mushrooms.
Pour remaining sauce over top.
Top with cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees until brown for 30 to 40 minutes.
Comments
