I let the chicken stock go all day yesterday and turned it off about seven last night (I started it around noon). I put it back on when I got up early this morning, and just strained it. But I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to make scalloped chicken today.
What that means depends on who you talk to. There are as many versions of scalloped chicken as there are insect species. To me, scalloped chicken must be baked, and it must have some sort of buttery crumb or cheese topping (also to me, it must have noodles, but I don’t count that as a requirement for bearing the title “scalloped chicken.”)
Here is a recipe for scalloped chicken. This is what I know as the minimal, most chicken-y, and least embellished recipe (and kids love this).
Scalloped Chicken
3 c. chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, 1/2 chicken, or 3 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 T. each: oil and flour
1/2 T. rubbed sage
1/2 t. each: salt, pepper, dried thyme
1/4 c. each: parmagiano, dried bread crumbs
4 T. cold butter, cut into bits
spanish paprika
Noodles
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
First make the noodles. Mix the flour and salt together, and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and egg yolk to the well, and mix the flour into the eggs until the dough clears the sides of the bowl (depending on the humidity, you may need a bit more liquid, so add water by tablespoons if so). Knead the dough for at least fifteen minutes — the longer you knead it, the chewier the noodles will be. Cut the dough in half and for each half, flatten it, then roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness (the dough will be resilient — this is easier to do if you let it rest thirty minutes or so after you’ve kneaded it). Cut into noodles, toss to separate, and leave to dry while you tackle the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 350. Poach the chicken in the stock until barely done and reserve chicken (if you’re using cooked chicken, you can skip this step). When chicken is cool enough to handle, bone and chop. Bring the stock to a boil, add the noodles, cover tightly and simmer until the noodles are done, about fifteen minutes. Remove noodles and measure the stock. If you have more than two cups, reduce it over high heat until you get two cups. Reserve, and rinse and dry the pan, then place over medium heat. Add the oil, and when the oil is hot, the flour, and stir until smooth. Add the seasonings and the stock, and stir constantly until thick. Add the chicken and the noodles and pour into a baking dish. Mix the cheese and crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Dot with the butter, and sprinkle with paprika (this helps give a lovely brown color). Bake until bubbly and the top is brown, about 30 minutes.
You can do anything you want to this recipe, which is probably part of the reason there are so many versions of it. You can add asparagus. You can add mushrooms. You can add slivered almonds. You can add roasted red peppers or pimentos. Instead of using all stock, you can use part white wine, sherry, cream, use your imagination. You can change the seasonings. Be creative.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
My childhood was one church pitch-in after another — we were always going to chuch socials. The best thing about them, of course, was the food, though this was (ahem) the early and mid 60s, and cooking with Campbell’s soup was all the rage — something most sneer at these days (though I must say that I don’t miss the jell-o salads.)
This was one of those church pitch-in specials, and yes, it’s got Campbell’s soup in it — three kinds. This is one of the best of the genre, something I still make — with no shame whatsoever, I might add. The rice is wonderful, and the chicken is moist.
4-6 chicken pieces
1 can each: cream of celery, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans milk
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 c. rice
1 stick butter
paprika
Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a baking dish, then add the rice, onion, and celery. Mix the soups and milk, then pour nearly all (reserve about 1/2 c.) in the baking dish. Mix the rice, onion, celery and soup mixture and smooth out. Place the chicken on top, pour the reserved soup mixture over all, cover tightly, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the cover, sprinkle the top with paprika, and bake another half hour, until the top is golden brown.
