New England Chicken Chowder (Julia Child)

By AnneS

Ingredients

• For chowder base:
• 4 cups sliced onions
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 4 cups warm chicken stock
• 4 cups of sliced "boiling" potatoes
• herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon thyme (wrapped in cheesecloth)
• S & P as needed
• For chicken chowder:
• 6 boneless chicken thighs or 3 medium chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or chives

Preparation

Step 1

Start out by sautéing the onions in the butter. When tender but not browned, blend in the flour and cook slowly for two minutes--then remove from heat and blend in, by dribbles at first, the warm chicken stock. Add the potatoes and the herb bouquet and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed. Remove the herb bouquet.

For chicken chowder, cut the chicken into slivers about 1/8" thick and 1 1/2 inches long. Shortly before serving, bring the chowder base to a simmer, stir in the chicken slivers and simmer just a minute or so, until cooked through. At this point you may want to blend in 1/2 cup or so of sour cream. Taste again for seasoning, and stir in about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley and/or chives.

Serve in big bowls accompanied by fresh French bread.