Chicken Fricassée

A Fricassée is a traditional French dish, which in essence is a very quick chicken stew with a pale, creamy mushroom sauce. This could be thrown together in minutes for a midweek meal or enhanced should you so wish when you have more time on your hands for instance by means of a homemade chicken stock The make-up of this is similar to Coq au Vin yet far speedier.

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 60 mins

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Cuisine: Europe, French

Courses: Mains

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Fricassée

8 chicken thighs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
60 g unsalted butter
300 g mushrooms
2 white onions
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
3 thyme sprigs

Sauce

3 tbsp plain flour
125 ml white wine
750 ml chicken stock
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp parsley
165 ml double cream

Instructions

1
To season the chicken take some kitchen roll and pat the chicken dry then sprinkle with your salt and pepper.
After handling raw chicken, discard the kitchen roll immediately and wash hands, utensils and work surfaces before touching ready-to-eat food.
2
Brown the thighs by melting a little butter over a medium high heat in a heavy skillet, Dutch oven or similar. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they begin to turn golden brown. Turn themover and cook the other side for 1 minute then remove to a plate and set aside.
This browning stage is for colour and flavour only; the thighs are not yet cooked through.
3
Add the mushrooms, onion, bay leave and thyme. Sauté the mushrooms and the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes until the mushrooms are slightly golden in colour.
4
Add the garlic and cook for 40 to 60 seconds then add the flour and cook for a further 60 to 90 seconds.
5
Add the wine and chicken stock whist stirring, and gently lifting and scraping the base of the pan to dissolve the brown residue stuck to the bottom, the fond, into the sauce. Colour equates to flavour.
6
Return the chicken to the pan the skin side up.
7
On a medium to low heat simmer the uncovered pot for 10 minutes then adjust the heat so that it's on a low constant, but not rapid bubbling. Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Everyone's oven and hob is different so the decision really is yours.
8
Remove the lid and let it simmer for a further 20 minutes. The chicken will be cooked through but if you wish you are seeking an internal temperature of 74°C.
Use a clean probe in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone. Temperature is a more reliable check than cooking time alone, especially because thigh size and hob heat vary.
9
Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate. Add the cream and stir through. Once the pan comes back up to a simmer, taste the sauce and season as required.
10
Return the chicken to the sauce, stir and then remove from the hob. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 755.72kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 55.99g87%
Saturated Fat 26.69g134%
Sodium 1393.16mg59%
Total Carbohydrate 14.86g5%
Dietary Fiber 2.11g9%
Sugars 2.47g
Protein 41.66g84%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Best served and shared with friends and family.