Comment:
The best fricassée is made like Mama's, in an old cast iron
pot. Mama would always fry her chicken first, and many times she
had to fry extra because the kids would eat it before it got to
the stew. In Louisiana it is traditional to finish a fricassée
with sour cream.
Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) fryer chicken
1½ cups flour
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced bell peppers
1 tbsp minced garlic
1½ quarts chicken stock
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup sour cream
salt and black pepper to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
Method:
Rinse chicken under cold running water then cut it into 8 serving
pieces. Drain chicken in colander. Season meat with salt, pepper
and hot sauce. In a large Dutch oven, heat ½ cup vegetable
oil over medium-high heat. Dust chicken in 1 cup of flour, shaking
off excess. Once oil is hot, fry pieces, a few at a time, until
golden brown on all sides. Caution: Heat may need to be adjusted
to avoid scorching flour and oil. Remove chicken and set aside.
Retain pan drippings for roux. If necessary, add oil to pan to reach
½ cup of drippings. Whisk in remaining flour, stirring until
a golden brown roux is achieved. Sauté onions, celery, bell
peppers and garlic in roux 3–5 minutes or until vegetables
are wilted. Add chicken stock, a little at a time, until stew-like
consistency is achieved. Return fried chicken to pot and add mushrooms.
Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 45 minutes
or until chicken is tender. Blend in green onions, parsley and sour
cream. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Additional stock
may be needed to retain consistency. Serve over steamed white rice
or noodles.
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