Fricasse de poulet Lancienne pginas 258 a 261

[Old-fachioned Chicken Fricasse with Wine-flavored Cream Sauce, Onions, and Mushrooms]
For this traditional Sunday dinner dish, which is not difficult to execute, the chicken pieces are turned in hot
butter, sprinkled with flour and seasonings, then simmered in wine and White sotck. The sauce is a
reduction of the cooking liquid, enriched with cream and egg yolks. Braised onions and mushrooms
company the chicken. Include also steamed rice or risotto, pages 529 or 532, or buttered noodles. If you
want other vegetables, butteres pes or aspargus tips may serve as a garnish.
WINE SUGGESTIONS
Serve a chilled, fairly full-bodied White Burgundy, Ctes Du Rhne, or Bordeaux-Graves.
For 4 to 6 people
Preliminary cooking in butter
2 /2 to 3 lbs. of cut-up frying chicken

Dry the chicken thoroughly in a towel.

A heavy, to-inch, fireproof casserole or eletric skillet.

1 thinly sliced onion, carrot, and celery stalk.
4 Tb butter

Cook the vegetables slowly in the butter for about 5

minutes, or untilthey are almost tender but not
browned (260 degrees for na eletric skillet). Push
them to one side. Raise heat slightly (290 degrees),
and add the chicken. Turn it every minute for 3 or 4
minutes until the meat hs stiffened slightly, without
coloring to more than a light golden yellow.

Lower heat (260 for na eletric skillet), cover, and

cook very slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken
once. It should swell slightly, stiffen more, but not
deepen in color.
Adding the flour
/2 tsp salt
/8 tsp White pepper
3 Tb flour

Sprinkle salt, pepper, and flour on all slides of the

chicken, turning and Rolling each piece to coat the
flour with the cooking better. Cover and continue
cooking slowly for 4 minutes, turning it once.

Simmering in stock and wine

3 cups boiling White chicken stock, White stock, or
canned chicken bouillon.
1 cup dry whit wine or /3 cup dry White vermouth
A small herb bouquet: 2 parsley springs, /3 bay leaf
and 1/8 tsp thyme tied in washed cheesecloth

Remove from heat and pour in the boiling liquid,

shaking casserole to blend the liquid and flour. Add
the wine, the werb bouquet, and more stock, or
water, so tge liquid Just covers the chicken. Bring to
the simmer. Taste for seasoning, and salt lightly IF
necessary.

Cover and maintain at a slow simmer for 25 to 30

minutes (180 to 190 degrees for na eletric skillet).
The chicken is done when the brumsticks are
tender if pinched and the chicken juices run clear
yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. When
done, remove the chicken to a side dish.

Onion and mushroom garniture

16 to 20 white-braised onions, page 481
/2 lb. fresh mushrooms stewed in butter, lemon
juice, and water, page 511

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions

and mushrooms. Add their cooking juices to the
chicken cooking sauce in the next step.

The sauce
Simmer the cooking liquid in the casserole for 2 to 3
minutes, skimming off fat. The raise heat and boil
rapidly, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces
and chickens enough to coat a spoon nicely.
Correct seasoning. You should have 2 to 2/2 cups.
2 eggs yolks
/2 cup whipping cream
A 2-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip

Blend the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl

with a wire whip. Continue beating, and add the hot
sauce by small tablespoonfuls until about a cupful
hs gone in. Beat in the resto f the sauce in a thin
stream.

A wooden spoon

Pour the sauce back into the casserole, or into na

enameled or stainless steel saucepan (do not use
aluminum). Set over moderately high heat and,
stirring constantly, reach all over the bottom and
sides of the casserole, until the sauce comes to a
boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring.

Salt and white pepper

Drops of lemon juice
Pincho f nutmeg

Correct seasoning, adding drops of lemon juice to

taste, and a pincho f nutmeg. Strain the sauce
through a fine sieve.

Final assembly
A clean casserole

Arrange the chicken, and the onion and mushroom

garniture, in the casserole. Pour the sauce over it.
(*) Except for reheating, and the final buttering of
the sauce, the dish is now ready and can wait
indefinitely. To prevent a skin from forming over the
sauce, spoon over it a filmo f cream, stock, or Milk.
Set it aside uncovered.

Reheating and serving

Set casserole over moderate heat and bring to the
simmer. Cover and simmer very slowly for 5
minutes, or until the chicken is hot through, basting
it frequently with the sauce.
1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Off heat and Just before serving, tilt casserole, add

enrichment butter, and baste the chicken with the

sauce until the butter has absorbed into it.

Springs of fresh parsley

Serve the chicken form the casserole; or arrange it

with the onions and mushrooms on a hot platter,
surrounded with Rice or noodles, and covered with
the sauce. Decorate with springs of fresh parsley.