Chicken à la King

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb cooked chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 jar (4 oz) diced pimientos, drained
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 slices white bread, toasted

Before you cook

• Cut the cooked chicken into half-inch cubes.
• Slice the mushrooms and finely dice the bell pepper.
• Drain the pimientos.

Steps

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and the pan is dry.
3. Scrape the vegetables into a bowl and set them aside.
4. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat.
5. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, keeping it pale.
6. Pour in the chicken broth in a steady stream while whisking until smooth.
7. Add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
8. Stir in the sherry, salt, white pepper and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes to take the raw edge off the sherry.
9. Fold in the chicken, the cooked mushrooms and pepper, the pimientos and the peas and heat everything through for 4 minutes.
10. Toast the bread and cut each slice diagonally into triangles.
11. Ladle the chicken à la King over the toast points and serve right away.