Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (6-quart minimum)
• •Medium saucepan for wild rice
• •Wooden spoon
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Place chicken thighs in a large Dutch oven and cover with the stock. Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. You want lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Poach for 25 to 30 minutes until the meat reaches 165°F and pulls easily from the bone. The kitchen will start to smell like Sunday at your grandmother's house.

   Bone-in thighs are non-negotiable here. The bones and skin release collagen and fat that give the soup its silky body. Boneless breasts will leave you with thin, forgettable broth.
2. 2

   Cook the wild rice

   While the chicken poaches, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rinsed wild rice and cook for 40 to 50 minutes until the grains have burst open, revealing their pale interior, and are tender but still chewy. Drain and set aside. Wild rice cooked separately maintains its texture and won't turn to mush in the soup.

   True wild rice is hand-harvested from lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It costs more but tastes like something. The paddy-grown California variety is acceptable but lacks the earthy depth of the genuine article.
3. 3

   Shred the chicken

   Transfer poached chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Pull meat from bones in generous, irregular shreds. Don't mince it into tiny pieces. You want substantial bites of chicken in every spoonful. Reserve the poaching liquid; this is now enriched stock.

4. 4

   Build the aromatic base

   Wipe out the Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Add butter and let it foam. Add onion, celery, and carrots with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. The vegetables should glisten, never brown.

5. 5

   Create the roux

   Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for two minutes. The flour must cook or your soup will taste like library paste. You're looking for a blonde roux that smells faintly nutty, not raw. This is the foundation of your soup's body.

   A wooden spoon works better than a whisk here. You want to scrape the bottom of the pot and coat the vegetables evenly without aerating the mixture.
6. 6

   Add liquid gradually

   If using sherry, add it now and stir vigorously as it sizzles and reduces by half, about one minute. Begin adding the reserved poaching stock one cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until smooth before adding more. This gradual incorporation prevents lumps. Once all stock is added, bring to a simmer.

7. 7

   Simmer with herbs

   Add thyme, sage, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup will thicken slightly and the flavors will marry. Taste and adjust salt. The broth should taste full and savory, ready to welcome the cream.

8. 8

   Finish with cream and components

   Remove bay leaf. Stir in heavy cream and return to a gentle simmer. Do not boil once cream is added or it may break. Fold in the shredded chicken and cooked wild rice. Simmer just until everything is heated through, about five minutes. The soup should coat a spoon but still flow freely when ladled.

9. 9

   Season and serve

   Taste once more and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. The soup should taste rich but balanced, the cream supporting rather than dominating. Stir in fresh parsley. Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately. A bowl of this soup on a cold night is reason enough to be grateful for winter.

   Warm your serving bowls in a low oven for ten minutes before ladling. Cold bowls steal heat from hot soup.

Chef Tips

• •For the deepest flavor, make your own chicken stock. Roast a chicken carcass with onion, celery, and carrot at 400°F until golden, then simmer in water for four hours. Strain and reduce by one third. This concentrated stock transforms the soup.
• •The sherry is optional but not really optional. That half cup adds a subtle complexity that makes people ask your secret. Use dry sherry, not cream sherry, and never cooking sherry from the supermarket shelf.
• •True wild rice from Minnesota or Wisconsin lakes has incomparable flavor. It's worth seeking out for special occasions. Paddy-grown wild rice works for everyday cooking but lacks the character of the hand-harvested variety.
• •If the soup thickens too much after refrigeration, thin it with additional stock rather than water. Water dilutes flavor; stock maintains it.
• •A small grating of fresh nutmeg, added with the cream, brings subtle warmth that complements the sage beautifully. Use a light hand.

Advance Preparation

• •The soup base without cream, chicken, and rice can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated. The flavors will deepen beautifully.
• •For best results, add cream, chicken, and rice when reheating to serve. This keeps the wild rice from getting mushy and the cream from separating.
• •The soup freezes well for up to three months without the cream. Freeze the base flat in freezer bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently, adding cream and pre-cooked rice before serving.
• •Cooked wild rice keeps refrigerated for five days or frozen for six months. Make extra and store it for quick assembly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 290g)