Chicken à la Providence with Cauliflower Sauce
A classic chicken dish served with a creamy cauliflower sauce, carrots, peas, and parsley.
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lb Whole Chicken (For Boiled Fowl)
- 8 cups Water (For boiling chicken)
- 1 medium Onion (For boiling chicken)
- 1 Celery stalk (For boiling chicken)
- 1 medium Carrot (For boiling chicken)
- 1 tsp Salt (For boiling chicken)
- 0.5 tsp Black Pepper (For boiling chicken)
- 2 tbsp Butter (For sauce)
- 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour (For sauce)
- 0.5 cup Cooked Carrot (Cut in fancy shapes)
- 0.5 cup Green Peas
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 0.25 tsp Salt (To taste, for sauce)
- 0.25 tsp Black Pepper (To taste, for sauce)
- 0.5 tbsp Fresh Parsley (Finely chopped, for garnish)
- 1 medium head Cauliflower (For cauliflower sauce)
- 1 cup Milk (For cauliflower sauce)
- 0.125 tsp Ground Nutmeg (For cauliflower sauce)
Instructions
- 1Rinse the chicken thoroughly inside and out. Place the chicken in a large pot.
- 2Add water, onion, celery, carrot, salt, and pepper to the pot with the chicken.
- 3Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through. This will take approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
- 4Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to keep warm. Strain the broth and return it to the pot. Reduce the broth to 2 cups over medium heat. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes.
- 5In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, to create a roux. Gradually whisk in the reduced chicken broth until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- 6Stir in the cooked carrot, green peas, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Temper the egg yolks by whisking a small amount of the hot sauce into the yolks, then whisk the yolks into the sauce. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until the sauce is heated through but not boiling.
- 7Steam or boil the cauliflower until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well. In a blender or food processor, puree the cauliflower with milk, butter, salt, and nutmeg until smooth and creamy.
- 8Place the chicken on a hot platter. Surround with the sauce. Drizzle cauliflower sauce over the chicken and sauce. Sprinkle the chicken and sauce with finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately.