Chicken Fricassée is a super simple but elegant Chicken dish that can be made on the stove top or in the oven. Makes its own gravy! And you can add a wide variety of ingredients to make the dish your own. Prep time is minor and cooking time is just an hour. Perfect to get together some sides!
Chicken Fricassée. Note the characteristic colour of the Gravy-Sauce. This version includes Carrots, Onions and Mushrooms. There are infinite variations,
limited only by your own imagination!
What you need…
4 pieces Chicken, your choice, skinned
2-3 cloves Garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 stake Celery, sliced 1/2 in. / 2 cm
1/2 Sweet Onion, quartered
1 large Carrot, sliced ½ in. / 2 cm
2 heaping tbsp. / 30 ml Flour
1 tsp. / 5 ml freshly ground Cumin Seed
1 tsp. / 5 ml freshly ground Coriander Seed
1 tsp. / 5 ml Thyme
2 tbsp. / 30 ml Frying Oil
¼ cup / 60 ml Dry White Wine
2 cup / 500 ml Chicken Stock, at room temperature
What you do…
Brown the Chicken pieces over medium heat in a large, flat-bottom skillet or braising pan.
Add Vegetables and Garlic and stir to coat with oil. Cook until the Veggies are browned around the edges and the onion is starting to become transparent – 2-3 minutes.
Add the Spices and Herbs and let them toast in the Oil for a minute.
Add the Flour, sprinkling, and stir until all the flour granules are coated with oil and the mixture was clear
Deglaze the pan with the White Wine and add the Chicken Stock and stir to incorporate all the Flour/oil mixture. Fill the pan about ½ way up the sides of the Chicken Pieces.
Simmer gently on low heat, covered, or place the pan, covered, in a 325 F oven if you need the stove top burners for other dishes. Cook for at least an hour, or until the Chicken ‘falls off the bone’.
Meanwhile, start a pot of Long Grain Rice (1 cup / 250 ml) dry, in boiling Water or Stock, cover and set on back of stove to ‘steep’ for at least half an hour. Do not uncover for any reason until you’re ready to serve it!
Remove Chicken pieces from the pan and set aside covered.
Use a fine sieve to separate the sauce from the veggies. The Veggies may be served as a savoury side dish on their own, if desires. This is how they to it in France!
In a deep plate or wide-brimmed soup dish, spoon Rice into bottom as a bed. Place one Chicken piece on each bed of Rice.
Serve the Sauce in a gravy boat and serve the Veggies in a small side bowl.
Garnish with some Thyme leaves or Parsley if desired. A small pinch of chipped Sage Leaf is also very good.
This dish also goes well with Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Corn as sides.
~ Maggie J.