Here is confession I think it is the time to make: I love chicken.
I almost want to use it in every single dish I cook. It is one of my favorite indigents to work with. It is easy, however you need to combine it with the perfect ingredients to get a good quality meal. If I would have to eat chicken every day, I probably wouldn't be bored. And I am not. Thanks to our cafeteria at school, we have chicken for lunch 4 days a week. But I am not complaining about it because as I've said, I looovee chicken.
I don't get to cook chicken a lot at home because my father is not a fan of chicken. He prefers red meat also known as the real meat in Turkey. When we say meat here in Turkey, everyone, not a single person thinks about chicken meat or anything else.
Anyways, this recipe that I will share with you is called "Chicken Gratin". It may sound French however it is an easier version of a Chicken Pot Pie. It is an all time favorite winter recipe in our family. Because I don't use cream in this (instead I use béchamel sauce) it is vey healthy and low fat.
If you are one like the ones who don't like turkey a lot or if you just want to try something else for Thanksgiving; I think you should give this one a shot.
So, here is the recipe that I couldn't stop talking about:
Ingredients:
4 medium chicken breasts
3 medium potatoes
1 carrot
5 tbs. olive oil
salt, pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbs. all purpose flour
3 cups milk
4 tbs. butter
2 cups grated cheese of your own choice, preferably one that melts easily
Water for boiling
Directions:
1) Put 2 tbs. of olive oil in to a pot. Cook the chicken breasts about 2 minutes until they slightly change their colors. Add in the whole carrot, don't cut it. Add in the peeled potatoes, do not cut it as well. Pour in water until the ingredients are all coated with it. Cook them until all of the vegetables and the chickens are tender.
2) Take the boiled veggies on to a cutting board. Slice all; the potatoes, the chicken breasts and the carrots into cubes. Transfer these into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the paprika and season it with salt an pepper.
3) In a pot, melt the butter and then add in the flour. Whisk it well. Add in the milk and give it a good whisk. Continue stirring and/whisking the sauce until it gets creamy. Wait until you see bubbles coming out from the sauce. The sauce might get very thick; so, you might want to add a little bit more flour. If it is still like a milk, then add in more flour. The perfect consistency is that the sauce is a little bit thicker than a melted ice cream. Some stays on the spoon, some slides down slowly. Take it off from the stove. Add in the nutmeg and stir until well combined. (You might want to check this recipe since I couldn't explain how to make a bechamel sauce good as I suppose to)
4) Take out the casserole dish that you want to bake it in. Coat all the sides of the dish with the rest of the olive oil.
5) Pour 2/3 of the béchamel sauce onto the vegetable and chicken mixture. Mix until well combined. Add in 1/4 cups of cheese into the mixture and mix again.
6) Add the veggie and chicken mixture into the casserole dish. Pour the rest of the béchamel sauce on top. Spread evenly. Also, sprinkle the rest of the cheese. (You might also add some breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture).
The cheese here is like the dough on top of the chicken pot pie. That's why I said that the dish is an easier version of a chicken pot pie.
7) Cook until the cheese is melted and is golden brown, about 15 minutes in the oven.
Bonne appétit.
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