Active Time
45 min
Total Time
45 min
Among the many stories regarding the origins of this dish, the one we deemed "most likely, and most likely to succeed" came to us in 1944. E. Clarke King of Dayton, Ohio, sent us "the original recipe," which he claimed had been invented by George Greenwald, head chef at New York's Brighton Beach Hotel, for his parents (who owned the hotel) in the early 1900s. This time, we've lightened Greenwald's dish with stock and added red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. Even with the changes, though, the dish will likely evoke childhood taste memories for those of a certain age.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Preparation
Step 1
Put broth and chicken in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat, uncovered. Turn chicken over and gently poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
Step 2
Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof 2-cup measure and reserve for sauce.
Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 4- to 5-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then cook peppers, stirring, until softened (do not brown), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer peppers to a bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Step 4
Add onion and remaining 3 tablespoons butter to pot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour and remaining teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and reduce heat to low, then cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in 3/4 cup broth, then all of cream and mushrooms, and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, lemon juice, Sherry, and paprika in a small bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup sauce, then stir yolk mixture back into sauce remaining in pot. Cook over low heat, stirring (do not simmer, or sauce will curdle), until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
Step 6
Cut chicken crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add along with peppers to sauce, then cook over low heat (do not simmer, or sauce will curdle), stirring occasionally, until chicken and peppers are just heated through. Add more broth to thin if desired.
Step 7
Spoon chicken à la king over toast on 6 plates, then sprinkle with parsley.
· Chicken can be poached 1 day ahead and cooled completely in broth, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat chicken in broth over low heat before proceeding. · Sauce, without yolk mixture, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce slowly to a simmer before proceeding.
Leave a Review
Reviews (30)
Back to TopMy husband asked me to make chicken a la king and I'd never had it so decided to try this. I made a few changes, sauteed the mushrooms with the onions and added the flour after that, only used 1 red pepper, added about 1/2 cup of peas, added a bit of chicken demi glace and served on puff pastry. It was very tasty!
lynnw1
2/14/2020
I like cooking for my friends and I often ask them what they want. Chicken a la King came up as a retro choice from our childhood. I used this recipe with only the addition of peas and I used puff pastry shells instead of toast. The dinner was a huge hit with everyone.
fernjacobs1845
Texas
5/25/2019
My grandmother, although a Chinese immigrant in SF in the 1930s, learned how to make this dish. She taught my mom & I grew up eating this Chinese-American style (over rice instead of toast!). I tried this recipe for the first time (with some modifications) & found it to be super rich & delicious. No bell peppers or pimientos on hand but I sautéed a whole large shallot diced & whole onion. Along with using my own stock from the meat/bones of chicken thigh (I prefer it over breast meat), I cheated with half a cube of chicken boullion. Also added frozen mixed veggies which is how my mom & grandma made theirs. I didn't have sherry or white wine on hand either but will definitely make this again & will try the sherry next time.
sabruina
7/18/2015
My grandmother, although A Chinese immigrant in SF in the 1930s, learned how to make this dish. She taught my mom & I grew up eating this Chinese-American style (over rice instead of toast!). I tried this recipe for the first time & found it to be super rich & delicious. I sautéed a whole large shallot & whole onion & cheated with half a cube of chicken boullion. I didn't have sherry or white wine on hand but will definitely make this again & will try the sherry.
sabruina
Los Angeles
7/17/2015
Pretty darn good if you make your own chicken stock. I also toss in some pimientos which my grandmother always used when she made this dish.
lmayo
Vancouver Island
7/5/2014
Very rich, comforting food on a cold day. I used half the cream and used milk for the other half and it was still thick enough. Used white wine instead of sherry which was also fine. Delicious recipe and easier to make from scratch than I thought. I served in puff pastry 'vol-au-vent' shells with a side of mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Worth every single calorie and gram of fat!
CasualCookie
Orleans, On
10/30/2012
This was a nice version of Chicken a la King. Definitely different from the standard ones I've had before, and the flavour is subtle, but I wouldn't call it bland. I will likely make it again.
bobsilverberg
Toronto
2/13/2012
This recipe for Chicken a la King looked a little more complicated than other recipes I looked at, but I decided to try it anyway based on the good reviews. I was not disappointed! This is a delicious dish. Someone suggested slightly increasing the quantity of sherry, which I did (I only need a slight encouragement to add extra sherry...). Next time I think I will stick with the recipe quantity instead. Also, I only had 1 cup of cream, so I made up the rest of the quantity with full-cream milk, which was fine as the dish was still creamy enough.
JacoW
Cape Town
12/12/2011
I had roasted a whole chicken a few days ago and used this recipe for the leftovers. I made chicken stock with the carcass and used that in the recipe. Like other reviewers, I added peas.; mostly for additional color. I made a view changes simply because I wanted to use ingredients that I had on hand. I did not add any Sherry and I substituted shitake mushrooms for the white. The addition of lemon juice really makes the dish. It keeps it from being bland. I served the dish over flat egg noodles. My husband raved about the dish. And I thought it was quick and easy to prepare.
lemonchess
Gainesville, FL
6/5/2011
This was excellent!!! Just the right amount of sherry. I added petite peas at the end for color and taste...Will definitely make it a again!!!
dorann
Bethlehem, Pa
1/23/2011
This is a great comfort food recipe, but different from the one my mother used to make. It definitely had peas, but not sure if that makes or breaks it! She also used puff pastry cups, and it was served with a lemon wedge and capers. Yum! Hers did not have the egg yolks- that does sound too rich- she used a butter flour rouz to start and then added the chicken broth and sherry to that. She may have used a touch of half and half, but again its not necessary really if you start with the roux.
laurenbayly
1/10/2011
I followed the recipe exactly, but it was very bland. It does not justify the fat and cholesterol intake. I had to add a lot of salt to make this palatable. I would not make this again.
Anonymous
Connecticut
3/3/2010
I just used this recipe to make a turkey version to use up all of the turkey from Christmas dinner. It was excellent and reminded me of the chicken a la king my mom used to make when I was little. I had to add peas, because that's what mom always did, and it was great. I personally like it on toast points but my husband couldn't resist the urge to serve it over rice.
donnamhall
Menlo Park, CA
12/30/2009
This is a great recipe and "comfortable" in that it just makes you happy to eat it. I've made it several times for guests, often teenagers (I'm a teacher) and always with great success.
shwayac7qz
Ohio, now Taiwan
10/24/2009
This was not a winner with my family at all. The taste was good, but it was way too rich for everyone. That was after I cut the butter by half.
galagrant
7/8/2009
