Chicken Ciulama with Garlic – The Simple and Creamy Recipe

There are dishes that instantly remind us of grandma's kitchen, and chicken ciulama is undoubtedly one of them. Most of the time, when I prepare a clear chicken soup, I use the boiled chicken breast to make this fine ciulama. It's an excellent method to "recycle" the meat from the soup into a delicious main course.

We prefer the simple version, without mushrooms, as it is much more to the children's (and my!) liking. Here's how you can get a white, silky sauce with a subtle garlic flavor.

📋 Ingredients

For about 3-4 servings, you will need:

• Chicken breast: 1 large piece (previously boiled in soup); • Butter: 50 g; • Flour: 2 tablespoons (well-measured); • Milk: 500 ml (must be cold, from the fridge); • Garlic: 2-3 large cloves (crushed); • Salt: to taste; • Optional: a little chicken soup (if you want a thinner sauce).

👩‍🍳 Preparation

1. Preparing the base (The Roux): In a double-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Be careful not to burn it; it just needs to become liquid. Add the two tablespoons of flour all at once and stir vigorously for 1 minute to "cook" the flour a bit (without browning it!).
2. The secret to a lump-free sauce: Here comes the critical step: the milk must be cold. Pour the milk gradually, in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Do not add the next batch of milk until the previous composition has homogenized perfectly.
3. Boiling the sauce: Continue to cook the sauce over low heat, stirring constantly. As it heats up, it will thicken. When it has reached the consistency of a fluid cream, it's time to add the salt and crushed garlic.
4. Finalizing the dish: Cut the boiled chicken breast into slices or cubes and add it to the white sauce. Let it all on the fire for another 2-3 minutes, stirring gently, so that the meat absorbs the flavors of the sauce.

💡 Useful Tips

• Consistency: If the ciulama thickens too much after cooling, you can thin it later with a little warm chicken soup or milk. • Texture: For an extremely fine result, if a few lumps have formed, you can pass the sauce through a fine sieve before adding the meat. • Serving: Chicken ciulama is not complete without warm polenta and, possibly, some finely chopped green parsley on top for extra freshness.

How do you prefer ciulama? Do you go for the classic, simple version, or are you fans of ciulama with mushrooms and cream? Leave me your answer in the comments!