MY CREAMED CHICKEN IN RICE RING

Steps:

• NOTE: MAKE RICE WHILE CHICKEN COOKS OR MAKE CREAMED CHICKEN WHILE RICE COOKS.
• Put breasts in deep pot with carrots and celery.
• Cover with COLD water.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Bring all to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
• Cover and simmer for at least an hour. Until meat appears to be falling off bones.
• Remove chicken and cool.
• When cool enough to handle, remove bones and skin and discard.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, not too small.
• Remove 2 cups of broth from pot.
• Melt butter in pan and whisk in flour until smooth.
• Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup broth, whisking to keep it smooth.
• Add another 1/2 cup and whisk again. Try to keep it from lumping.
• Return to heat and add last cup of broth. Keep heat low-medium and keep whisking until sauce thickens.
• Should be like very heavy cream or slightly thicker, not runny.
• Add chicken pieces, keep warm until rice is done.
• I usually add canned lima beans to the sauce, but this is optional. You could also add some celery and/or carrots from the pot.
• RICE RING.
• You can make the rice as you usually do to get 4 cups cooked rice OR use my method.
• Put rice and cold water in pot. Add salt.
• Bring water to a boil and stir rice ONCE with wooden spoon.
• Cover tightly and simmer for 18 minutes.
• When done, remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork.
• Add butter and stir gently until all melted and blended inches.
• Pack rice into buttered ring mold and tamp down so it is packed, not loose.
• Put serving plate over top of mold and flip over.
• Tap gently to loosen rice ring.
• Fill center of ring with creamed chicken, decorate as desired and serve.
• NOTE: Putting veggies in creamed chicken is an option. You could serve them as a side dish.
• Use the rest of the broth with carrots and celery for soup or another recipe.