Chicken Tetrazzini[W/O Soup]
Chicken tetrazzini made entirely from scratch with no canned soup. Reduced homemade broth, heavy cream, dry sherry, and a hint of nutmeg create a silky sauce over spaghetti, mushrooms, and parmesan.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
50 minREADY
60 minNo cans. No shortcuts. Just real cooking that tastes like it.
This tetrazzini starts by poaching a whole chicken, then reducing that broth by half for concentrated flavor. The bones and skin go back in during the reduction, squeezing every last bit of richness out.
The sauce is built properly: a butter-flour roux whisked with the reduced broth, heavy cream, and dry sherry, then finished with freshly grated nutmeg.
Spaghetti and mushrooms line the baking dish with the sauced chicken nested in the center, parmesan scattered on top, and the whole thing baked to a pale golden finish.
Chef Tips
- Reducing the broth by half is what gives this dish its depth; don’t rush this step
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve for a smooth, clean sauce
- A light grating of fresh nutmeg adds warmth without being detectable as a distinct flavor
- Make the well in the center of the spaghetti so the chicken sits proudly on top as a visual centerpiece
Ingredients
Directions
In a dutch oven, combine the chicken with enough salted water to cover it by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the chicken for 20 minutes, or until it is tender.
Let the chicken cool in the broth, separate the meat from the skin and bones, returning the skin and bones to the broth, and cut the meat into strips, reserving it.
Simmer the broth until it is reduced by half, strain it through a fine sieve, discarding the solids and skimming the fat, and boil it until it is reduced to about 2 cups.
While the broth is reducing, in a large saucepan cook the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until they are softened.
In a kettle of boiling salted water boil the spaghetti until it is al dente and drain it well.
In a saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, 3 minutes.
Whisk in the reduced broth, the cream, and the Sherry, bring the sauce to a boil, whisking, and simmer it for 5 minutes.
Season the sauce with the nutmeg and salt and pepper.
Stir half the sauce into the mushrooms with the spaghetti and transfer the mixture to a well-buttered 2½-quart baking dish , making a well in the center.
Add the reserved chicken to the remaining sauce, combine the mixture well, and transfer it to the center of the spaghetti mixture.
Sprinkle the mixture with the Parmesan and bake it in the middle of a preheated 350 deg.
F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is pale golden.
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