Chicken with Cream Sauce

This is old-school poached chicken adapted for the slow cooker. A whole bird simmers all day in water with celery, carrot, onion, and a cheesecloth bundle of parsley, bay leaf, cloves, and thyme. After 7-9 hours on low, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and the cooking liquid is a rich, homemade stock.

That stock is the foundation of the cream sauce. Butter and flour cook together into a roux, then the strained crockpot broth gets whisked in gradually until smooth. A finish of cream and chopped parsley turns it into a velvety, classic French-style sauce that coats the sliced chicken beautifully.

Tying the herbs and cloves in cheesecloth keeps them contained so they’re easy to fish out and don’t leave bits floating in the broth. It’s a small detail that makes the stock cleaner and the sauce smoother.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the broth from the crockpot for the sauce. It’s concentrated with flavor from the long cooking time and beats any store-bought stock
• Cook the roux over low heat for several minutes before adding liquid. This cooks out the raw flour taste
• Whisk the stock into the roux gradually to avoid lumps. Add it in a thin stream, whisking constantly
• The chicken will be very tender after 9 hours. Handle carefully when removing from the pot to keep it in one piece for slicing

Variations

• Add a splash of white wine to the cream sauce for extra depth
• Stir Dijon mustard and tarragon into the sauce for a French bistro twist
• Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes to soak up the extra sauce