An old school San Francisco Junior League “A la Carte” cookbook classic, this recipe has withstood the test of time. It was served at my bridal shower 35 years ago — and still makes for a happy occasion. Easy to pull together, it can be made ahead of time, and is perfect for a potluck supper or a housewarming dish for the new neighbor. Just serve it with a green salad and a good loaf of bread. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 whole bone-in chicken breasts, halved and skinned (bone in gives more flavor, but is not necessary)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Madeira or sweet sherry
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1 cup canned water chestnuts,* drained and sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
*If you don’t like water chestnuts, you can substitute 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms.
DIRECTIONS:
- Poach chicken breasts in stock until tender. Remove and cool, reserve stock. Bone chicken if you used boned breasts and cut into large bite size pieces.
- Rinse the wild rice and cook as directed (use additional chicken stock if desired).
- Melt butter until foamy, add flour, and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups reserved chicken stock. Cook and stir until thickened. Cool to room temperature and blend in cream and Madeira or sherry.
- Combine cooked rice and water chestnuts, if using, or mushrooms.
- In a buttered casserole dish, layer chicken pieces and rice mixture, making 2 layers. If making ahead you can refrigerate at this point then when ready to bake pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheese. I always add more to my liking.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes; then cover and bake for 15 minutes more.