21 Club Chicken Hash

Since a lot of NYC restaurants are closed because of Covid 19 they have been sharing some of their coveted recipes online. One of my favorite classic New York City restaurants is 21. They have been posting “Cooking at Home with 21” for months now. I had been waiting and waiting for my favorite dish to make an appearance and wouldn’t you know….it was posted last week. I love the 21 Club Chicken Hash. It is honestly is the fancy cousin of the chicken casserole and one of my favorite dishes ever. I always order it but not on it’s signature bed of white toast, but with extra spinach. It does not look too hard to re-create. It is on my list for this upcoming chilly, maybe snowy weekend!! Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 cups chicken stock
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
½ cup unbleached white flour
¼ cup dry sherry
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ½ lb grated gruyere
½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Bring the chicken stock to a
   boil. Add the chicken breasts and lower the heat to a simmer. Poach the
   chicken breasts 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
2. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and cool completely before
   cutting into one-inch cubes. Reserve the liquid.
3. Combined the softened butter with the flour, kneading them together into a
   paste.
4. Return the reserved chicken stock to a boil, and using a wire whisk, add the
   flour/butter combination in one-tablespoon increments.
5. Cook 5 minutes then add the sherry and cream.
6. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheese and nutmeg.
   Remove from heat once cheese is melted.
7. Fold in diced chicken.
8. OPTIONAL CRUNCHY TOPPING: Top with additional cheese, and brown lightly
   under broiler.
9. Serve with spinach, Many patrons prefer the hash served over white toast (no crust) instead of rice.

Seared Spinach
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly washed, stems removed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach leaves and
   sear quickly on one side.
2. Add salt and pepper.
3. Toss/turn with tongs or a spatula to cook the rest of the spinach until just
   wilted, but still bright green. (5 or 6 minutes)