Creamed Chicken with Almonds

Ingredients

• 0.5 breast Chicken breast (About 6-8 ounces)
• 0.33 cup Blanched almonds
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• 0.5 cup Milk
• 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
• 1 stalk Celery stalk (Finely chopped)
• 0.5 medium Carrot (Finely chopped)
• 0.25 medium Onion (Finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 2 sprigs Fresh parsley
• 3 whole Whole cloves
• 5 whole Black peppercorns
• 1 leaf Bay leaf
• 0.25 teaspoon Mace (Ground)
• 0.25 teaspoon Salt (To taste)
• 0.25 cup Bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Butter (For sauce)
• 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour (For sauce)

Instructions

1. 1Place the chicken breast in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cooked through. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes. Remove the chicken and let it cool slightly.
2. 2In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped celery, carrot, and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tie the parsley, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, and mace in a cheesecloth bag. Add the cheesecloth bag to the saucepan along with salt and bread crumbs. Add 2 cups of water. Simmer for 1 hour, then remove the cheesecloth bag and rub the stock through a sieve.
3. 3Chop the cooked chicken meat and rub it through a sieve. Pound the blanched almonds to a paste. Add the almond paste to the chicken.
4. 4Add the cream to the chicken and almond mixture. Combine the chicken mixture with the vegetable stock. Add the milk and reheat gently over low heat.
5. 5In a separate small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to create a roux. Gradually whisk the roux into the chicken mixture to thicken the sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.