Today is the Day of the Mushroom! Last week, on a rainy, cool day, I decided to make Chicken Fricassée to comfort our winter-weary souls and it was an enormous hit. Now, this wasn’t the first time I’ve made it, but it is the first time it’s making its appearance on the blog. So, what is a fricassée? Simply, it is a French term for meat braised in stock and finished with cream. But, Chicken Fricassée is more commonly known as an American dish and was one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite meals. He preferred a dash of nutmeg in his fricassée and that is what my recipe includes as well. I made this to celebrate President’s Day with my children a few years back. The other president, I had honored that day, loved biscuits. I put the two together and it was simply amazing.
So, grab yourself a chicken, button mushrooms, stock, and cream and get cooking! If you want some other mushroom-rific ideas to celebrate this fungi-fantastic day, check out these other options: Stuffed Mushroom and Dandelion Salad, Chicken with Morels, Steak with Mushrooms and Wine Reduction, Sweet & Sour Soup, or Vegetable Stew. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try this sweetbread recipe with mushrooms.
Chicken Fricassée
Small chicken (about 4 lbs)
Half stick of butter
Olive oil
2.5 cups chicken stock
Onion, petite dice
12 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1/2 cup chardonnay
AP flour
1.5 cups cream
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Handful of parsley leaves, minced
Lemon
Nutmeg
Butcher your chicken into 8 pieces - 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts (cutting each breast crosswise). Reserve the carcass and wings for stock at a later time. Season the chicken pieces with kosher salt and black pepper.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large dutch oven, over medium heat, and lightly brown the chicken all over, about 6 minutes per each side, rotating the chicken pieces to ensure even browning. Add the stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer - cooking for about 25 minutes.
While the chicken simmers, heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and mushrooms, with a pinch of salt over medium-high heat, until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown. Add in the wine, stirring frequently, until almost fully absorbed. Remove the skillet from the heat and reserve.
Once the chicken has cooked, transfer it to a platter and loosely tent with foil.
Stir the mushrooms and onions into the pot. Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the remaining butter. When the butter begins to foam, whisk in 2-3 tbsp of flour until it turns golden and smells toasty and leaves a slight film on the bottom of the skillet. Then, turn off the skillet heat, and whisk in the cream until the flour has dissolved.
Immediately transfer the mixture into the pot and whisk to combine. Increase the heat in the pot to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Then, add in the thyme and about a tablespoon of parsley, along with the juice of the lemon and some freshly grated nutmeg. Taste for any seasoning needs.
To serve, place some chicken on individual plates, covering with sauce and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve with a green salad and dijon vinaigrette.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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