Chicken Fricassée

Perhaps being a novice to French food, I’m easily impressed by the names of dishes and Chicken Fricassee is one of those names, so when I recently saw a blog posting for the dish, I wanted to make it – while I’m still dieting, I’m no longer on a near starvation diet so I can eat meals like this on occasion.  As best I can learn a fricassee is between a saute and a stew because it is cooked without liquid to begin then in liquid at the end.  I believe the chicken version generally uses thighs and legs to get a dish that looks like this. 

This is mine and I just realized this recipe didn't have carrots.

I decided to look around the web for recipes and considered Julia Childs version, but it was too much effort for me so I settled on the recipe from Recipe Tin Eats.  Since my girls prefer chicken breasts, I substituted them for the thighs rather than try to cook breasts and thighs in the same pan to the correct internal temp.

Chicken Fricassée – Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

S&P to taste

4 tbsp unsalted butter

10oz white mushrooms, halved if small, or cut in 4 to 6 if large

2 medium brown onions, ¼" - ½” thick (they cook up at ¼")

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs (or ½ tsp dried thyme)

3 tbsp flour, all-purpose

½ cup white wine

3 cups chicken stock, low sodium

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

¾ cup thickened/heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Trim chicken, Jaccard, cut into serving-sized pieces, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or heavy based pot with a lid. Add chicken breasts and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. 

3. Turn and cook the other side to golden brown then remove to a plate.

4. Add mushrooms, onion, bay leave and thyme to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes until mushroom is lightly golden – they won't go deep golden brown.

5. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.

6. Add wine and chicken stock. Stir, scraping the base of the pot to dissolve the brown residue stuck to the pan ("fond") into the sauce.

7. Return chicken to the sauce and check the internal temp.

8. Once it comes to a simmer, adjust heat so it's bubbling constantly but not rapidly – medium-low on my stove - and simmer until breasts internal temp is 158F.

9. Remove chicken to a plate.

10. Stir cream into sauce and once it comes up to a simmer, taste sauce and add more salt if desired.

11. Turn off the heat, return chicken to the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley (if using) and serve! We served over plate-mashed potatoes.

The Verdict:

Bev and I both thought it was very good and the only change we would make is to add another tablespoon of flour for a little thicker sauce – we Southerners like gravy better than sauce.

Now I'm ready to pursue even classier sounding French dishes like Coq Au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon, whatever they are 😊

And what can be done with the leftover sauce you might ask.  Toss some chopped ham into a skillet and brown it a little then add a couple of really rich yolked beaten eggs, scramble, and top with some nuked sauce.  This was a delicious breakfast and I'm glad we still have some sauce - I could just eat it on bread or toast.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

04/27/22 event date