One of my all time favorite meals growing up was a very 1970s dish called Chicken à la Queen. Queen, not King, because my mother was a Queen, and she who bakes, names. It’s a total throwback dish for me, one I haven’t thought about for ages, but I can’t wait to try it again. I managed to find an online recipe similar to my mom’s and with her help have amended it accordingly.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 ¼ cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry Sherry (real Sherry is always best)
1 cup Emeril’s organic reduced‐sodium chicken broth (or make your own)
1 cup skim milk
1 Tablespoon half & half or heavy cream
¼ cup sliced scallions
Paprika (My family wasn’t into pimentos, so my mom dashed Paprika on top)
Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry – cooked to their directions

Directions

Toss chicken and flour in a medium bowl until coated.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Reserving the remaining flour, add the chicken to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining oil to the pan.
Add mushrooms, bell pepper, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are softened and starting to brown.
Pour in sherry; bring to a boil and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.
Whisk broth and milk into the reserved flour until smooth. Stir the mixture into the pan.
Bring to a simmer, stirring often.
If using pimentos, add them now, with the chicken and return to a simmer.
Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, ten minutes or so.
Dish into puff pastry, top with paprika and pop on the lid.

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