Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Fricassee for the Win

Earlier this month, I had some chicken thighs remaining from a large package purchased on sale. We eat chicken quite a bit for a number of reasons, and I was looking for a different way of cooking it. I considered the possibility of Chicken & Dumplings, but my husband isn’t a fan of it.

So off I went to look through cookbooks and browse the Internet for ideas. In one of my cookbooks, I came across a recipe for Chicken Fricassee. I’ve never cooked it, and can’t remember ever eating it. Intrigued, I detoured to Google to do a recipe and information search.

Many of the recipes I came across resembled Chicken & Dumplings, sans the dumplings in many cases. That wasn’t going to work. So I began searching to find out what a fricassee is.

Fricassee (FRIHK-uh-see) comes from the French word fricassée, meaning to cut up and fry. Recipes and methods of making fricassee vary widely. Meat browned versus gently cooked in butter. Simmer the meat in stock or wine versus stewing with vegetables. Some recipes call for you to make a mushroom cream sauce. Most call for serving the dish over noodles or dumplings.

After reading through more recipes than I care to remember, I came to the following conclusion: despite their differences, all the recipes share a basic foundation … pieces of meat are cooked to some degree, then stewed or braised.

I searched through my pantry and refrigerator to see what ingredients I had on hand. I found fresh aromatics, canned tomatoes, half a box of organic chicken stock, and some smoked sausage links. Of course I have typical pantry staples such as salt, pepper, herbs, flour, and more. As I mulled my ingredient finds over, an idea came to mind.

Why not make a Creole-Style Chicken Fricassee? I was born and raised in New Orleans, so Creole cooking is something I’m familiar with. Considering how varied (and confusing) Chicken Fricassee recipes are, I couldn’t think of a reason not to attempt this. So off I went to the kitchen.

I made this up as I went along, drawing upon my knowledge of Creole cooking. I have to say that the whole downstairs smelled wonderful as it cooked. And it turned out quite good. Both my guys liked it, enough for me to write it down after dinner before I could forget how I had made it. This is a definite “make it again” dish for us.

While I based this recipe on Creole cooking, I did not make a roux. However, you certainly could if you so desired. Instructions for this follow the main recipe.

Creole-Style Chicken Fricassee
Serves 4

4 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup sliced green onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can (14.5oz) tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
¼-½ teaspoon dried, rubbed sage
1 large bay leaf
8oz smoked sausage, cut into 4 pieces
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper or dried red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1 cup rice, cooked according to directions or preference

Ingredient Notes:
* Tomatoes – I used petite cut, but use your favorite
* Sausage – If you like heat, try using a spicy sausage, such as Andouille or Chorizo.
* Meat – while fricassee is typically made with chicken, you can use any meat you like including rabbit, veal, or Cornish Game Hens. I used chicken thighs since this is what I had on hand, but you can use whatever your favorite part is.

Heat skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add oil and heat until it shimmers (should take less than 30 seconds).

While skillet heats, sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When skillet and oil are hot, add chicken skin side down. Cook until skin is browned and crisp. Turn over and brown other side for about 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add vegetables to hot skillet and sauté until softened. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and mix well. Reduce heat to medium. Stir and cook, 2 or 3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. NOTE: See below for instructions to use a roux.

Stir in stock, tomatoes and herbs. Mix well. Return chicken to pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove cover and add sausage pieces. Continue to cook for 15 minutes.

Remove chicken and sausage from skillet. Place in a low oven to keep warm.

If necessary, increase heat under skillet so that sauce simmers and bubbles. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, or until sauce is thickened to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and if desired, cayenne or dried pepper flakes. Remove and discard bay leaf. NOTE: This step is not necessary if you like a thinner sauce.

Divide rice among plates or bowls. Top with a chicken thigh and a piece of sausage. Spoon sauce over top.

To Make with a Roux:

After removing browned chicken from the skillet, sprinkle flour over the oil while stirring. Add enough flour to absorb all the oil and create a slurry. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until it's as brown as you like (anywhere from tan to deep golden). Be careful because it's very easy to burn a roux, and it can change from perfect to ruined in a matter of a few seconds. Dump all the chopped vegetables into the pan (this stops the cooking of the roux); mix and sauté until softened. Proceed with remainder of recipe from there.

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