Step 1

To make the roux, stir together the heavy cream, flour, and dried milk powder until it forms a smooth paste and set it aside.

Step 2

For the cream stew, heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add the oil, onion, carrots, and potatoes. Saute the vegetables, constantly stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start turning translucent but do not let them brown.

Step 3

Add the vegetable stock, chicken, salt, pepper, and bay leaf, then turn the heat up to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Use a spoon or skimmer to remove any foam or oil that floats to the surface and continue doing so until there is no more foam.

Step 4

Turn down the heat to low, partially cover the pot with a lid, and let this simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 5

Par-boil the broccoli in a well-salted pot of boiling water for about a minute and then drain it and set it aside.

Step 6

When the timer on the stew is up, add the mushrooms, submerge them and cook them through. This should take about a minute or two.

Step 7

To temper the roux, add a few ladles of the hot liquid from the stew into your roux and use a whisk to dissolve the roux until there are no lumps.

Step 8

When the mushrooms are cooked, pour the tempered roux into the stew and stir this together. Bring the Cream Stew to a simmer to thicken the sauce, but do not let it boil.

Step 9

To finish the stew, add the broccoli and heat it up.