Fricassee is defined as a stew made with pieces of meat that have been braised (lightly fried to brown in butter or oil and then slowly stewed) and are served in a sauce flavored with cooking stock. By this definition, the first record of fricassee goes back all the way to the earliest version of the medieval French cookbook Le Viandier, published circa 1300. The dish is first referred to specifically as “fricassee” in the 1490 publication of the same cookbook. The etymology of the word is uncertain but is probably an amalgamation of the French words frire (to fry) and casser (to break in pieces).
Despite its French origin, Fricassee quickly spread around Europe, giving rise to the various versions known and loved today, including the German comfort food Hühnerfrikassee.
Ingredients:
1 chicken
1 to 2 carrots
1 leek
fresh parsley
½ celery root
40 g (3 tablespoons) butter
40 g (5 tablespoons) flour
½ to ¾ L (2 to 3 cups) of chicken broth
1 egg yolk
⅛ L (½ cup) of evaporated milk
lemon juice or white wine, to taste
100 g (¾ cup) champignons
salt, to taste
Instructions:
Clean chicken and dice up soup greens, then add to 2 litres of salt water and cook. After cooking, skin chicken, de-bone and dice it. Pour broth through sieve and set aside.
For sauce, melt butter in saucepan then gradually sprinkle in flour while carefully mixing. Temperature should be high enough to cook but not as high as to burn sauce.
Add chicken broth to saucepan and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring intermittently as needed to ensure sauce does not stick to bottom and burn. When done, combine egg yolk and evaporated milk and add to sauce while still hot, then blend until thoroughly mixed.
Add salt and lemon juice or wine to taste, and blend until thoroughly mixed.
Clean mushrooms then lightly fry in pan or steam. Add chicken and mushrooms to sauce and serve.
This recipe goes well with rice.