Do you ever feel like you need to up your cooking game? Do you think that classical French dishes requires technique, equipment, and ingredients that are beyond your capabilities? Well look no further because this Fricassee is the epitome of easy and delicious comfort food but screams ‘Fancy French.’

A Fricassee is a dish that involves cutting up meat and stewing it in a gravy or sauce. This means that not only is this particular recipe as easy as it gets, it can also be completely customized to include your favorite proteins and vegetables.

Article Content: hide

1 The Ingredients

2 The Cooking Process

3 Frequently Asked Questions

4 Tips to Improve or Alter the Recipe

5 Things to Serve with your Fricassee

6 Tips for Storage

7 Chicken Fricassee

The Ingredients

Keep in mind that almost anything could be added to this dish. For the purposes of this article, I’ve gone with the following ingredients:

Chicken – Skin on for extra richness! The cut really doesn’t particularly matter, but I opted for the whole leg which I then separated during the cooking process. As mentioned, this could be replaced by seafood or other meat such as beef or lamb.
Stock – Ideally, your stock should match the type of protein you select. But even a cup of water with a stock cube mixed in will work just as well.
Vegetables – There are no hard and fast rules for what you can add in. Although, be mindful of cooking times and colors. I like button onions, mushrooms and parsley. Beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflowers or peppers could be added just as easily.
Staples – These are non-negotiable for this dish to work. They include butter, all-purpose flour, an egg yolk, and heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste and proper seasoning is also a must!

The Cooking Process

A few important but easy steps now stand between you and a creamy, cozy bowl of Chicken Fricassee. Start by giving your chicken a head start by seasoning well with salt and pepper. Make sure to score it a few times to make sure the seasoning penetrates. Cut the pieces into manageable sizes to ensure a quicker, more even cooking time.

Then, it’s time to give your sauce some texture with the flour and stock. Make sure the flour is dissolved in the butter completely, and that the chicken is cooked through without any pinkish color. SLOWLY pour in the stock, mixing constantly to ensure that the flour remains dissolved and doesn’t clump up. At this point, spend some time skimming the surface of the sauce to remove any oil that may appear. Once a boil has been reached, reduce the heat and add in the onions and mushrooms. Allow the combination to simmer until the veggies become tender.

Now it’s time for the French part of the recipe. Add in the yolk and cream (aka the Liaison). This pair finishes your dish and provides it with a smooth creaminess that cannot be achieved through any other means. Special care has to be taken as to not heat the mixture too much. This will result in the egg cooking at too high of a temperature and consequently splitting the sauce. Start by mixing the yolk and the cream together. Ladle in a spoonful of the fricassee sauce (that you put together in the previous step) into the cream and yolk, while mixing the whole time. This action is called tempering your liaison, and it allows the egg to gently come up to a temperature close to the sauce. Once this is done, pour the liaison back into the sauce and immediately turn off the heat and continue stirring. The residual heat will thicken the egg and give your sauce a velvety smooth finish.

And that’s it! Sprinkle on some chopped parsley and serve immediately!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to ensure the chicken doesn’t take on color?

No. If you choose to crisp up the chicken skin, you totally can. Just remember that in doing so; your final sauce will have a darker, browner color to it.

What happens if the eggs get over-cooked in the sauce?

Immediately grab another egg yolk and whisk it vigorously into the sauce.

Tips to Improve or Alter the Recipe

As mentioned above, any veggies of your choosing can be added to give the dish additional color and texture.
Seasoning with ONLY salt and pepper is not a hard and fast rule. Feel free to sprinkle on some dried herbs, paprika powder, or garlic powder to add an extra depth of flavor.
If you don’t want to risk the use of the egg yolk ruining the texture of the sauce, you can omit it and just add in the cream. Be warned that it won’t have the same richness that the addition of the egg yolk will provide

Things to Serve with your Fricassee

Fricassee is technically stew, so the best accompaniments would be something starchy. A steamy bowl of fluffy rice, or a thick slice of brioche would go very well. A healthy dollop of mashed potatoes, or even a roasted selection of root vegetables would all pair quite well with this creamy treat.

If you want to cut back on the calories, a green salad tossed in French dressing and topped with a few croutons, wouldn’t be out of place either.

Tips for Storage

This is something that needs to be eaten straight off the stovetop for the best flavor and experience. However, if you plan to make it in bulk, make the sauce without the liaison and store it in a freezer for up to two weeks. Heat up the amount you need for a one sitting, add in your cooked meat of choice, and mix in the liaison and you’ll be golden.