Fricassée De Poulet (Chicken Fricassée)

Fricassée De Poulet(Chicken Fricassée) is a great old-fashioned dish, the essence of chicken in a creamy sauce. Fricassée is a method of French cooking where chicken meat and vegetables are browned lightly in butter, sprinkled with flour and then stewed in chicken broth or wine. As the meat and vegetables finish cooking, the flour thickens the liquid and makes a Fricassée sauce with no effort. This dish is best served over cooked pasta with Roséwine from Provence or Côtes du Rhône.

Region Prep time / Cooking time Poitou 30 min / 1 hour                      Ingredients 1 Chicken (3 lb / 1.4 kg) 1 Onion Carrots 1 oz butter (25 g) 2 tb flour 3 cups chicken bouillon or stock 1 cup dry white wine 1 parsley sprigs 1/2 lb mushrooms 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup whipping cream Lemon juice Salt, black pepper

Chicken Fricassee Recipe (serve 6)

Step 1: In a casserole or skillet, cook the carrots and onion in butter for 5 minutes over moderate heat. Cut the chiken in about 10 pieces. Add the cut-up chicken in the skillet. Turn it every minute for 4 minutes until slightly golden yellow.

Step 2: Lower heat, cover and cook very slowly. Turn the chicken once while cooking.

Step 3: Add salt, pepper and flour on both sides of the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 4 to 5 minutes. And turn the chicken once during the process.

Step 4: Remove from heat. Boil the bouillon/stock and pour in over the chicken. Add the wine, parsley and just enough bouillon/stock or water to cover the chicken. Bring to the simmer. Cover and maintain for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Cook the mushrooms in butter with a drop of lemon juice. Retrieve the cooking juice of both the mushrooms and chicken. Simmer the cooking juice in a casserole for 3 minutes. Remove the fat from it. Then raise heat and boil, stir it well until the sauce reduces itself, enough to get 2 1/2 cups from it.

Step 6: Blend the egg yolks and cream. While beating it, add the sauce very slowly. Pour the sauce in the casserole again and cook at medium to high heat. Stir the sauce all the way. Boil for 1 minute. Add a drop of lemon juice and salt & pepper.

Step 7: Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetabbles. Heat the chicken fricassee if needed. Add butter before serving.

Bon appétit!