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Old-Fashioned Chicken Fricessee
(Fricassee de Poulet a l'Ancienne)
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| What You Need: |
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2½-to 3-pound frying chicken, cut up
8 tablespoons butter (1 quarter-pound stick)
Salt
White pepper
¼ cup flour
3 cups hot chicken stock, fresh or canned
Bouquet garni made of 4 parsley sprigs and 1 bay leaf, tied together
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
2/3 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
16 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1 inch in diameter
¾ pound fresh mushrooms, whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 egg yolks
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Wash the chicken quickly under cold running water and dry the pieces thoroughly with paper towels. In a heavy 2- to 3-quart flameproof casserole, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat.
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2. Using tongs, lay a few pieces of chicken at a time in the butter and cook them, turning them once or twice, for about 5 minutes, or until they stiffen slightly and are no longer pink. Do not let them brown. Remove to a plate and season with salt and white pepper.
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3. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the butter remaining in the casserole and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 or 2 minutes without letting it brown.
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4. Remove from heat. Slowly pour in the hot chicken stock, beating vigorously to blend roux and liquid. Return to heat, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer slowly for 1 minute.
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5. Return the chicken to the casserole together with the juices that have collected on the plate, and add the bouquet garni and thyme. The sauce should almost cover the chicken; add more stock if it doesn't. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
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6. Meanwhile, combine 2/3 cup stock, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the onions in an 8- to 10-inch enameled or stainless-steel skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
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7. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a bowl. Stir the mushrooms and lemon juice into the stock remaining in the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
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8. Add the mushrooms to the onions. Boil the liquid remaining in the skillet until it has reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons, and pour it into the simmering casserole of chicken.
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9. To test the chicken for doneness, pierce a thigh with the tip of a sharp knife; the juices should run pale yellow. With tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the bouquet garni.
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10. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, which by now should be as thick as heavy cream; if it isn't, boil the sauce rapidly uncovered until it reaches the desired consistency.
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11. With a wire whisk, blend the egg yolks and cream together in a bowl. Whisk in the hot sauce, 2 tablespoons at a time, until ½ cup has been added; then reverse the process and whisk the egg-yolk-and-cream mixture back into the remaining hot sauce.
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12. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly, then boil slowly for 30 seconds. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, white pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.
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13. Strain through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Wash the casserole, arrange the chicken pieces, onions arid mushrooms attractively in it, and pour the sauce over them.
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14. Do not use any juices that have accumulated under the chicken unless the sauce needs thinning. Before serving, cover the casserole and simmer it over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is hot. Do not let the sauce come to a boil again. Serve the chicken from the casserole or arranged on a heated platter, masked with sauce and sprinkled with parsley.
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