The sauce is bound by the oil in the walnuts and the starch in stale bread; there is no flour or cream. Soaking the bread in chicken stock gives the sauce both body and flavour. Using stock rather than water makes an obvious difference.
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the walnut sauce
For the top
Method
-
Poach the chicken
Boil the breast with the onion for 35 minutes, strain and keep the stock.
-
Shred
Pull the chicken into threads, leaving no large pieces.
-
Soak the bread
Soak the stale bread in warm chicken stock for 5 minutes and squeeze it out.
-
Blend the sauce
Blend the walnuts, soaked bread, garlic and salt until smooth.
-
Set the consistency
Add chicken stock a little at a time to bring the sauce to a pourable but not runny consistency. Stir in the olive oil.
-
Combine
Mix two thirds of the sauce with the shredded chicken.
-
Plate it
Spread on a plate, smooth the remaining sauce over the top.
-
Chill
Chill for 1 hour. Drizzle with paprika butter and scatter with walnuts.
Tips
- Soak the bread in stock rather than water; the difference is obvious.
- Do not make the sauce too thick, as it sets further as it cools.
- The red oil poured over is not decoration, it is what cuts the weight of the walnuts.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.