Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, such as Pepperidge Farm, defrosted (see note)
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in, 2 & 1/2 to 3 pounds total (see Chef’s Notes)
• Good olive oil
• 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 5 cups chopped leeks (about 3 leeks), white and light green parts (see note)
• 4 cups chopped fennel (about 2 bulbs), tops and cores removed
• 3 cups (1/2-inch) carrots, scrubbed and diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 1/4 cup Wondra flour
• 3/4 cup cream sherry, divided (see Chef’s Notes)
• 7 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (2- × 3-inch) piece of Italian Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen whole pearl onions
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly dust a cutting board and rolling pin with all-purpose flour. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry on the board, dust it lightly with all-purpose flour, and lightly roll the pastry just to smooth out the folds. With a star-shaped or fluted round cookie cutters, cut 12 stars or rounds of pastry and place them on the prepared sheet pan. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Place the chicken on a sheet pan skin side up, rub the skin with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until a thermometer registers 130°F to 140°F. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken in 1-inch dice. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium (11- to 12-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel, and carrots, and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but not browned.

Stir in the garlic and tarragon and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Sprinkle on the Wondra flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the sherry, the chicken stock, 4 teaspoons salt, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil over medium-high, lower the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

While the soup simmers, bake the puff pastry croutons for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, add the chicken, peas, and onions. Return to a simmer over medium. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes more. Off the heat, remove the Parmesan rind and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sherry and the parsley. Serve hot in large shallow bowls with two puff pastry croutons on top of each bowl.

Chef’s Notes:

You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. Cut the time down to 20-25 minutes to cook them, double-checking that the internal temperature is 130-140°F. The chicken won’t be quite as flavorful, but the soup has plenty of flavor to make up for using boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

If you don’t have cream sherry, you can create a fairly close version by adding 2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar to 1/2 cup dry sherry.

Recipe by Ina Garten