I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. It's a childhood favorite of my husband.
- Carbohydrate 12.0029663127606 g
- Cholesterol 397.00625 mg
- Fat 90.7206966412112 g
- Fiber 0.267834302032814 g
- Protein 84.6327739395907 g
- Saturated Fat 33.9003546767439 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (604g)
- Sodium 791.559044372161 mg
- Sugar 11.7351320107278 g
- Trans Fat 7.46372716398713 g
- Calories 1282 calories
Step-by-step
- Divide chicken. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add flour, salt, and pepper to melted butter. Heat until smooth and bubbling. Add chicken broth, mustard, worcestershire, ketchup, and paprika and stir until well blended. Return chicken and cover, simmering until tender. About 30-40 minutes. Can cook for longer to thicken sauce.
- Add sherry to skillet and stir to blend. Pour entire contents of skillet into a casserole dish and bake in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until exposed chicken is browned.
- Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes.
Standard pan-fried poultry rely on simple pan juices thickened with water or stock, whereas this preparation utilizes a complex emulsion of butter, flour, and acidic catalysts. When flour is whisked directly into the residual 1/2 cup of melted butter after searing the split bird for 20 minutes, it forms a traditional blond roux that prevents the fats from separating during subsequent liquid additions. Maintaining a steady medium heat ensures the starch molecules swell properly without scorching the dairy solids.
The sauce achieves its characteristic pungency through the interaction between 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup, which introduce acetic acid, umami compounds, and natural sugars that balance the high fat content of the 4-pound poultry. Incorporating 1 cup of dry sherry near the end of the stovetop phase introduces ethanol-soluble flavor congeners that evaporate partially during the final 15 to 20 minutes of high-heat baking at standard oven temperatures, leaving behind a concentrated, aromatic residue that clings to the skin. Letting the casserole rest off the heat allows the starches to fully set the sauce viscosity to a coating consistency.
Refrigerating leftovers within two hours of baking concentrates the sherry and Worcestershire notes further as the animal fats solidify. Reheating individual portions gently with a splash of chicken broth restores the fluid emulsion without breaking the butterfat.
