Simple recipe for French Chicken fricasee

A traditional French recipe for chicken fricasee. With a creamy white mushroom sauce – perfect for mopping up with a hunk of cripsy bread! It’s thought that the term fricasee comes from French frire – to fry, and casser – to break into pieces. Which is what you do with the chicken in this recipe! Brown the chicken and then cook in the sauce. It’s a simple recipe and very delicious!

How to make chicken fricasse for 4

2 carrots, cut into small chunks
2 leeks, cut into small chunks
1 large onion, halved (or 2 medium onions halved)
1 garlic clove halved – optional (you can remove from the sauce at the end but I think it adds a certain je ne sais quoi!)
Handful of mushrooms
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

For the sauce

80g unsalted butter
60g plain flour
200ml white wine
200ml double cream
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, juiced
Small handful curly parsley, finely chopped, or a couple of spring of thyme

Method

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper and fry until lightly golden on both sides – leave the skin on. Remove from the pan and leave to the side.

Saute the mushrooms, leek, garlic and onion.

Add the flour, stirring constantly to blend it in.

Add the wine and chicken stock and stir all the flour in.

Add the chicken – skin side up, bring to a gently simmer, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.

Uncover and leave for a further 20 minutes.

Plate up the chicken pieces only. Pour the cream into the pan and stir until it’s simmering.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and add the herbs. It’s good served with rice, mashed potatoes or bread – the sauce is king here…

Dig in!