FILLING
2 Chicken breasts, (1 lb ea)
With skin and bones
1/4 lb Pearl onions
About 1 lb, unpeeled
2 md Carrots
Cut in 1/4″ thick slices
2 Celery ribs
Halved lengthwise
Cut in 1/4″ thick pieces
1/2 c Frozen peas, thawed
1/4 lb Mushrooms (abt 8)
Thinly sliced
2 tb Butter
1/4 c Shallots, finely chopped
(about 2 large)
1 Bay leaf
1/4 ts Dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 ts Dried tarragon, crumbled
1/4 c All-purpose flour
1/3 c Dry white wine
1 3/16 c Chicken broth
Grated nutmeg to taste
1 tb Medium-dry sherry
-MASHED POTATOES-
1 1/2 lb Baking potatoes
1/4 c Low-fat sour cream
2 tb (to 3 tbs) chives, minced
Make Filling: In a 5-quart saucepan, bring 3 quarts water to a boil.
Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 20 min. Remove pan from heat and
let stand 30 min. Transfer chicken to a bowl, discarding cooking
liquid, and cool. Discard skin and bones. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch
cubes and return to bowl.
In a 3-quart saucepan bring 2 quarts water to a boil and cook onions
until tender, 7-8 min. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a bowl
of ice and cold water, reserving cooking liquid in pan. Cut root ends
off onions and peel. Add onions to chicken.
Return reserved cooking liquid to a boil and cook carrots and celery
until just tender, 4-5 min. Drain carrots and celery and add with
peas to chicken mixture.
In pan cook mushrooms in 1/2 tsp butter over moderate heat, stirring,
until softened and golden brown and all liquid they give off is
evaporated and add to chicken mixture.
In pan cook shallots with bay leaf, thyme, and tarragon in remaining
1 1/2 tbs butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until soft and
pale golden and stir in flour. Cook mixture, stirring, 3 min (it will
look crumbly) and gradually whisk in wine, broth, nutmeg and salt and
pepper to taste. Simmer sauce 5 min, whisking occasionally, and whisk
in sherry. Discard bay leaf. Pour sauce over chicken mixture and stir
until combined well.
Filling may be made 1 day ahead, cooled, uncovered, and chilled,
covered.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Make Mashed Potatoes: Peel potatoes and cut in to 1-inch pieces. In a
saucepan cover potatoes with water by 1-inch and simmer until very
tender, 10-15 min. Reserve about 1/3 cup cooking liquid and drain
potatoes. In batches force potatoes through a ricer or food mill
fitted with medium disk into a bowl and stir in sour cream, chives,
salt and pepper to taste, and enough reserved cooking liquid to get a
fluffy consistency. Transfer potatoes to a pastry bag fitted with a
1/2-inch fluted tip.
Spread filling in a 1 1/2-2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking
dish. Pipe mashed potatoes decoratively in mounds on filling and bake
in middle of oven until filling is bubbling and potatoes are golden
on edges, about 25 min.
Yields
4 Servings