Fricassée De Poulet 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 Rosé wine from Provence or Côtes du Rhône.
See Recipe.

It’s the way the chicken is cut, browned in butter and stewed and the creamy sauce that make this dish so elegant yet simple but not tedious.

Fricassée De Poulet is not new to me. I served it the first time about a year ago in a romantic dinner at home to celebrate an evening of Valentine’s! The dinner menu was Chicken Fricassée on spaghetti with steamed broccoli and asparagus on the side and a bottle of chilled Rosé wine. It was a lovely dinner, I was glad we spent that evening at home. It’s always been a pleasure to stay in and dine with a home-cooked meal, in whatever occasion.

I picked fresh chicken breasts and thighs for this recipe and had them deboned. I had to save the bones for my chicken stock. I saved all chicken breast and thigh bones and skins, some vegetable scraps I stored in the fridge from previous recipe like onion ends, carrot skins and ends, herb stems. Threw them all in a pot of water, boiled and simmered for about an hour, lid off. I added one medium bay leaf, few peppercorns and a bit of salt for taste.  Then cooled, strained and skimmed. And I say, “a good dish begins with a good stock, a good stock is made at home”.

This dish is quite popular using chicken breasts only. But in this recipe, I like to combine both parts, white meat which is the chicken breast part and the dark meat which is the chicken thigh part. I fancy chicken thighs because of its texture and its more flavorful taste, although have higher fat than white meat. And chicken breasts, on the other hand, have lower fat and cholesterol, hence healthier with milder taste, it cooks faster than chicken thighs. I took off the skins of both parts to reduce the amount of fat being consumed. Then I cut the chicken meat into bite-sized chunks.

I started to cook cubed carrots and peeled shallots (instead of onion) slowly in oil and butter in a nonstick pan, until they were almost tender but not brown, then set them aside. In the same pan, I threw in the chicken thigh chunks first, then after 3 minutes, the chicken breast chunks. Turned the chicken once while cooking, till they turned golden yellow. I added up salt, pepper and flour on both sides of the chicken, thoroughly coating the chicken with the flour and cooked very slowly for 5 minutes. Removed from heat, I transferred the chicken to a casserole and then poured in pre-heated chicken broth, just enough to cover the chicken. Brought back to simmer and then added in white wine and parsley, covered back, continued to cook very slowly for 20 minutes. I used strong and dry white wine, Chablis.

When done, I took out the chicken and vegetables from the casserole onto a side dish.

In the same nonstick pan used (unwashed) for the chicken earlier, I tossed in butter and browned mushroom, sprinkled a few drops of lemon juice. Then I retrieved the cooking juice of mushrooms and chicken back to the casserole and simmered for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce thickened.

In a small bowl, I blended egg yolks and whipping cream well and slowly added to the cooking sauce in the casserole. Cooked at moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until it came to a boil for another 2 minutes, to further thicken and reduce. I seasoned well with salt and pepper and added a drop of lemon juice for taste.

Finally, I poured the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Set casserole over moderate heat and brought to simmer. Covered and simmered very slowly for 3 minutes, or until the chicken was hot through, basting it frequently with the sauce.

Served over my favorite al dente-cooked spaghetti, garnished with parsley, on a simple dinner plate. Et voilà! Dinner was served!

Fricassée De Poulet was a real treat for dinner. It’s creamier and tastier this time around though as I recalled, for the egg yolks were not in my recipe when I prepared it the first time.

I have to say, making this dish was not tedious at all. There was so much to do, even though the recipe seemed straight-forward.  My kitchen sink was overflowing with dirty pans, pots and dishes. But it was worth the mess! I will definitely make this recipe again!

See you next time for my next recipe challenge! à bientot!

Chicken Fricassée

Prep Time: 20mins

Cooking Time: 45mins

Ingredients

1.25 kilos chicken breast and thigh chunks

1 cubed carrot

1 medium white onion (10 shallots if available)

1 tb oil

25 grams unsalted butter

2 tbs flour

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup dry white wine

2 sprigs parsley

1 medium can button mushroom (fresh is better)

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup whipping cream

lemon juice

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step1
In a nonstick skillet, cook carrots and shallots slowly in oil and butter in a nonstick pan, until they are almost tender but not brown, then set them aside. In the same pan, throw in the chicken thigh chunks first, then after 2-3 minutes, the chicken breast chunks. Turn the chicken once while cooking, till they turn golden yellow.

Step2
Add up salt, pepper and flour on both sides of the chicken, thoroughly coating the chicken with the flour. Lower heat and cook very slowly for 5 minutes. And turn the chicken once during the process.

Step3
Remove from heat, transfer the chicken to a casserole and then pour in pre-heated chicken stock, just enough to cover the chicken. Bring back to simmer and then add in white wine and parsley, cover back, continue to cook very slowly for 20-25 minutes.

Step4
When done, take out the chicken and vegetables from the casserole onto a side dish.

Step5
In the same nonstick pan used (unwashed) for the chicken earlier, toss in butter and brown mushroom. Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice. Then retrieve the cooking juice of mushrooms and chicken back to the casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens.

Step6
In a small bowl, blend egg yolks and whipping cream well and slowly add to the cooking sauce in the casserole. Cook at moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil for another 1-2 minutes, to further thicken and reduce. Season well with salt and pepper and add a drop of lemon juice for taste.

Step7
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Set casserole over moderate heat, cover and simmer very slowly for 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken was hot through, basting it frequently with the sauce.

Step8
Serve hot over favorite cooked pasta. Garnish with parsley.

This recipe makes 6 servings.