How To Cook A Quick Chicken Fricasse

If you have been to France or might probably be dreaming of going, you might be interested in learning how to make a chicken fricasse. Pronounced “frikasay,” this traditional French stew is different from the Coq au Vin, which is mostly slow-cooked with dark brown sauce. The chicken fricasse is cooked with whiter creamy sauce, mushrooms, and chicken breasts. It’s a perfect dish for midweek when you just want a rustic taste for your regular meal with your family. What’s nice about a traditional fricasse is that they don’t spoil quickly and when you reheat them they become more delicious as the flavors have seeped in the chicken meat. RecipeTin Eats provides us with a great recipe that’s quick but doesn’t compromise the taste of this traditional dish. 

Ingredients: 

• Chicken breasts (skin-in and bone-in)
• Garlic
• Bay leaves
• Thyme
• Butter
• Mushrooms
• White wine
• Chicken stock/broth (tastier if you use homemade chicken stock)
• Flour
• Cream

Directions: 

You start with seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large pan or pot with a cover over medium-high heat.

The chicken thighs should be browned first, skin side down in the butter. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until golden brown, then flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Transfer the thighs to a dish or tray from the skillet. 

Now cook the drumsticks by searing three sides to ensure enough covering all around. This will take approximately 2 minutes on each side. Then add them to the platter with the thighs once they’re done. 

Now you move on to making the sauce. Sauté the onions, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves in the remaining butter for about 5 minutes, adding the garlic at the end. The mushrooms will turn from white to a light golden color, but not a dark golden brown. After that, add the flour and cook for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour flavor.

Adding chicken stock and wine is the next step. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the saucepan to remove any golden pieces that may have clung to the bottom. 

Return the chicken to the pot skin side-up.  Make sure the chicken is mostly submerged in the sauce because you want to ensure that the chicken absorbs the sauce flavor. 

The chicken should be covered and simmered for ten minutes after it has been added to the sauce. Then, reduce the heat so that the mixture bubbles continuously but does not boil fast. Cook for 10 minutes with a lid on.

Remove the lid and continue to boil for another 20 minutes. The sauce will thicken and become more like gravy in this phase.  After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue to boil for another 20. The sauce will thicken and become more like a gravy. By now, the chicken should be done because the chicken is immersed in a very hot liquid, 30 minutes is all you need for this stew. It will be cooked and extremely tender. 

Remove the chicken from the sauce and place them on a plate. Stir in the cream in the sauce, then bring the sauce back to simmer. Then return the chicken to the sauce as soon as the sauce reaches a simmer again. After the cream is added, there is no need to boil the sauce.

Now you have your to-die-for chicken fricasse. Quick and easy and tasty as well. Reminds you of France maybe. One tip, perhaps play some good old Serg Gainsburg while eating? And don’t forget to garnish your plate of chicken fricasse with some parsley. 

How To Cook A Quick Chicken Fricasse