Preparation

White Chicken Stroganoff with Dill

• Poach the chicken (recipe follows). Drain it, reserving the stock. Reduce it further, by about half.
• Shred the chicken meat.
• Slice the shallots or slice the onion long and thin. • Chop the dill to yield a generous cup.
• Mince the garlic or smash it in a garlic press. • Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the shallots or onion and saute them until they are half-soft.
• Add the garlic.
• Add the wine and reduce the liquid until most of it is gone.
• Add the shredded chicken and the chopped dill, reserving a bit of dill for a garnish. Stir briefly to coat. • Add the sour cream or creme fraiche. Stir well and thin with chicken stock to taste.
• Simmer for about 5 minutes and then let it stand.
• Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Top with the reserved dill.

My Latest Poached Chicken

• Rinse the chicken inside and out and let it drain.
• Slice the carrots, onion and celery.
• Put the chicken, half of the vegetables and half of the aromatics in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Sometimes my pots are a bit small for a large chicken and the breast is peeking out of the water. Then I splash a little olive oil on top of the bird and either baste it with the water or turn it so the top isn’t dry or undercooked.
• Simmer the chicken, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes. Skim off any foam.
• When the chicken is thoroughly cooked (poke it with a skewer to see that the white meat is white, not pink), lift it out. Drain the chicken over a large bowl and save the liquid.
Discard the spent aromatics and vegetables, which are just now soggy cellulose.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull off the wings, legs and thighs. Tear the best meat off the legs and thighs, but without being too thorough about it. (A bone broth with some meat is a luxury.) Separate the breast from the back, leaving the breast meat on the bones. Set aside the breasts and the stripped dark meat.
• Put the back, wings, legs and thigh bones in a fresh pot with the remaining fresh vegetables and aromatics.
• Strain the poaching liquid, pour it over the bones, and simmer for at least 30 minutes and for up to 2 hours, adding more cold water if necessary.
• Drain, cool and put away the broth.

Reprinted with permission from Bloomsbury Press