Chicken with Walnut Sauce
Boiled chicken may seem a thing of the past, but if the chicken is good to begin with, you don't overcook it, and you serve it with this classic walnut sauce— sometimes called tarator or skordalia—it can be quite fabulous. Make the chicken and the sauce in advance if you like; both are good at room temperature. And, if you prefer, sauté the chicken and serve it with this sauce.
- Chicken stock, preferably homemade, or water as needed
- One 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, stems reserved and tied together
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 thick slice day-old bread
- 1 cup walnuts, blanched
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 fresh hot red chile, stemmed and seeded, or 1 teaspoon pure chile powder, like ancho or New Mexico
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of chicken stock or water to a boil (starting with stock will mean even more flavorful chicken and even better stock when you're done).
- Add the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, parsley stems, salt, and pepper; the liquid should just cover the chicken. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and cool to room temperature. Strain the stock and set aside.
- Put the bread in a bowl and saturate it with some of the stock. Squeeze any excess liquid out of the bread, then place it in a food processor with the parsley leaves, walnuts, garlic, and chile. Process until the walnuts are ground, then, with the machine running, pour in enough of the reserved stock to form a creamy sauce, about 2 cups. Reserve the remaining stock for another use.
-  Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Carve the chicken and serve it with the sauce.