Grandma Jean’s Chicken and Noodles

Name: Grandma Jean’s Chicken and Noodles
Yield: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter; 3 large shallots, chopped; 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced; 4 ounces button mushrooms, thickly sliced; 2 carrots, sliced into thin half-moons; Kosher salt; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 6 cups Chicken Stock (page 28) or canned low-sodium chicken broth; One 10-ounce bag egg noodles; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch strips; 1 1/2 cups half and half; One 10-ounce box frozen peas; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or dill; Freshly ground black pepper

December 9, 2011

Gina: Few dishes are as soothing or as comforting as this creamy stew of poached chicken and tender egg noodles. As kids, when any of us were feeling low, we could always count on my mom (these days she’s known as Grandma Jean) to have a pot of this soup on the stove. It seemed to me that anytime I had a bowl of it I was instantly cured. I’m not sure if it was the combination of ingredients, or the love my mother put in every pot, but I know that now, when I make it for my family, they feel the same way. Grandma Jean would simmer a whole chicken for hours (Grandma Jean took her time with everything). We, however, who always seem to be pressed for time, have thankfully found a way to create similar flavors with a shortcut (don’t tell Grandma!). We poach sliced chicken breasts to juicy perfection in the stock, and then add green peas and lemon juice for a final layer of fresh flavors and color. This one comes with our Neely guarantee: One bowl of this stew and you are on your way to recovery. Thanks, Mom!

Recipe notes