Chicken Velvet Soup

Serves:

Ingredients:

1 Chicken (about 5 pounds)
2 1/2 qt Water
SOUP
3/4 c Butter (room temperature)
3/4 c Flour
2 c Light cream (OR
-half-and-half)
6 c Chicken stock, heated
1 1/2 c Cooked chicken breast,
-finely chopped
Salt, to taste, if desired
Freshly ground black pepper,
-to taste
1 c Fresh parsley, snipped, to
-garnish

Method:

STOCK BROTH: Simmer the chicken for about 1 hour.
Remove the chicken and cool; remove the meat from the bones.
Reserve the white meat and save the remainder for other uses.
SOUP: Blend the butter and flour together in a medium (3-quart) saucepan.
Warm the cream in a seperate pan.
Add the warmed cream to the butter-flour mixture and stir until smooth.
It will start to thicken when it is heated.
Stir in two cups of the hot stock.
Cook over low heat, stirring, until heated through and blended, about 4 minutes.
Add an additional 4 cups of stock and the chopped chicken.
Season to taste with salt, if desired, and pepper.
Heat to serving temperature--steaming, but not boiling or the cream will break.
Watch the pot closely to keep from coming to a boil.
SERVICE: Serve from a heated tureen and ladle into heated bowls.
Garnish with snippets of fresh parsley.
YIELD: About 8 servings.