Slow cooking gives the chicken a whole lot of flavor. I really liked the hint of lemon provided by the lemon slices. I am looking forward to using the lemony chicken broth for another recipe soon.
The ham is perfect. Sautéed in butter and salty. I had the ham cut in the deli to about 1/4 inch thick. This seemed like the best way to get the ham slices as I could buy the exact amount I needed. It worked great.
The sauce was quite lovely. It reminded me a bit of a hollandaise sauce.
The paprika gives the sauce a nice flavor, and a beautiful color.
The sherry also adds a little extra to the sauce.
When everything is added together, the image is lovely. The flavor is fabulous. Especially when you get a bite of each!
BREAST OF CHICKEN WITH VIRGINIA HAM
6 Chicken Breasts, Boned
6 Slices Cooked Virginia Ham
Onion Slices
1 Lemon, Sliced
Bay Leafs
Black Peppercorns
Salt
SAUCE
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Flour
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Cream
2 Egg Yolks, Beaten
Salt
Paprika
2 Tablespoons Sherry
Place chicken breast in a kettle and barley cover with water. Add salt, a few slices of onion, bay leaf, a few peppercorns and a few slices of lemon. Cover and cook gently until just tender. Drain and reserve stock. When ready to serve, reheat with melted butter in a covered pan, but do not allow breasts to brown. For sauce - melt butter, blend in flour, and add chicken stock and cream gradually while stirring over low heat. Stir a little of the hot sauce into the egg and then return to sauce. Season to taste with salt and paprika. Add sherry. Serve chicken place on ham slice and topped with sauce.
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