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Chicken Fricassee – Version 1

Fricassee refers to a dish made from sauteed and stewed meat which is served in a dense white sauce which resembles gravy. The dish is particularly associated with the American South, although it is made in other regions of the world as well.  The base of fricassee is, of course, the meat. Chicken is a traditional meat for fricasseeing, although other poultry and white meats may be used as well.  A base sauce such as mushrooms will usually be gently fried before adding flour and then following with cream to make a very thick, rich sauce.  Finishing the meat in the sauce, rather than making the sauce in the same pan with the meat, will yield a fricassee with a more delicate flavor, and it will also reduce the amount of fat in the finished dish.” [via]

Ingredients in this recipe: chicken, butter, mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, flour, white wine (Sauvignon Blanc), chicken broth, bay leaves, heavy cream, lemon, parsley

Initial browning of the chicken:

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After an hour, the liquid is reduced:

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And here we go! Poof!

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Hungry Cactus’ final verdict: A-

Even though I gave this the same grade as last week’s Chicken Provençal, I liked this dish a little bit more — the flavor was lighter (white wine) and yet richer (heavy cream).  The mushrooms was a perfect complement to the sauce.  Also, the ingredients are more easily accessible (no need for olives or anchovy fillet).