Chicken à la King or chicken in the style of King is notorious for being the dull glob of cream, vegetables and chicken or turkey cafeterias serve during lunchtime to make use of the previous day’s leftover protein. Putting it that way does not make it sound so kingly anymore. But as a matter of fact, the dish was not named after any highest-ranking male ruler of an independent state but after a chef from the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia who initially made it, William King.
To add a little variety to and modernize Chicken à la King, I made my version crispy. The gorgeous golden fried chicken pieces wrapped with the creamy and luscious sauce bring forth the feeling of comfort the original dish evokes with an added ingenuity. Chicken à la King sauce usually consists of sherry and pimiento, but I simplified the recipe to make it much easier for Filipino home cooks to recreate.
Recipe
Yields 4-6 servings
~ Ingredients ~
Ala King Sauce
Ala King Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 cup cream
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup mixed vegetables
⅓ cup peas
⅓ cup carrots
⅓ cup corn
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
Fried Chicken
250 grams chicken breast, cut into nuggets
Marinade
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Breading
2 egg whites
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Oil for frying
~ Procedure ~
Marinade the chicken for at least 1 hour.
Ala King Sauce
In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the butter until golden.
Pour in the chicken stock and cream and let it simmer down for 2-3 minutes.
Add the mixed vegetables, salt, sugar and paprika into the sauce.
Let the sauce cook down until it has reached your desired consistency. This took around 3 more minutes.
Fried Chicken
Prepare the breading by mixing the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and pepper together.
Coat the chicken with egg whites then dip it in the breading mixture.
Fry the chicken cutlets in oil at 350°F until it becomes a golden color. This took around 4 minutes.
Take the chicken out from the pan and set them down on a cooling rack or a plate covered with tissues.
Pour the sauce on top of the chicken and mix them together until all the pieces of chicken are coated.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
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