This One-Pot French Chicken Is the Only Way I'm Making Chicken Right Now
Fricassée comes from the French words frire (to fry) and casser (to break into pieces). A fricassée can be made with any protein, but more often than not chicken gets top billing. Sometimes, chicken fricassée is called poulet á la crème, a similar creamy chicken dish. Both are lovely, cozy French classics that are easy to whip up at home.
Before making this iconic dish, I spoke with Antoine Blandin, a French chef currently living in California. Antoine was raised near the Loire Valley, a region in central France. When he was a child, his mother prepared chicken fricassée often. Recently he phoned his mother, who still lives in the area, for the recipe. She said, “There are as many recipes for chicken fricassée as there are families in France,” but Antoine’s mother always included morel mushrooms. Most of the recipes you find do in fact include some sort of mushroom, although morels are usually only available during the spring.
Fricassée is famous for having so many different styles, and celebrated chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, and Daniel Boulud have all put their own spin on it. Put your own flair on this dish as you see fit, but I believe chicken fricassée is best when it’s a one-pot wonder that utilizes simple techniques and high-quality ingredients. The key attributes to a good chicken fricassée include creamy, comforting, rich, and hearty. Antoine tells me that he dreams of eating the dish with pasta, but if you’re feeling more traditional, serve it with fried potatoes for a cozy meal.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s a one-pot wonder. Chicken fricassée produces a flavorful, creamy, and comforting dinner by simply simmering chicken with herbs and aromatics.
It’s a French classic made easy. This hearty weeknight dinner can be made with chicken thighs, drumsticks, or a combination.
Key Ingredients in Chicken Fricassée
Chicken: Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks carry a wonderful, meaty flavor, and makes for a deeply savory broth.
Cremini mushrooms: Stewed cremini mushrooms add earthiness and richness.
Herbs: Fresh parsley, thyme, and a dried bay leaf are essential to producing an aromatic sauce.
Heavy cream: Turns the broth luxurious.
Egg yolks: Add a lovely amount of richness to the sauce.
How to Make Chicken Fricassée
Sear the chicken and add the flour. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then in a large Dutch oven, sear it with butter. It might seem weird to add flour directly to the chicken and butter instead of making a separate roux, but the nature of chicken fricassee is unfussy simplicity. If it’s good enough for Daniel Boulud, it’s good enough for me.
Build the sauce. They don’t have to be cooked too long. Adding flour at this point will help thicken the sauce later. Add the white wine, then reduce it by half. Stir in water and herbs, return the chicken to the pot, and simmer until the chicken is tender.
Finish the sauce. Stir in the cream. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly. While whisking constantly, slowly pour some of the sauce into a bowl of beaten egg yolks, then stir the egg mixture into the fricassée until combined. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Helpful Swaps
Low-sodium chicken broth can be used in place of the water.
Cremini mushrooms can be replaced with any seasonal mushroom. Using a medley of mushrooms will also enhance the overall flavor.
Storage Tip
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Chicken Fricassée
In France, the dish is often served with fried potatoes. Mashed potatoes, rice, and bread are also common. Antoine, however, dreams of eating this dish with pasta.
Chicken Fricassée Recipe
A cozy French classic that’s really easy to whip up at home.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 1 hour 50 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, or a combination
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large white onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
8 to 10 ounces medium cremini or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 sprigs fresh parsley, plus chopped parsley leaves for garnish
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
Serving options: Fried potatoes, steamed rice, mashed potatoes, cooked pasta, or crusty bread
Instructions
Pat 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks with paper towels. Season with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and let sit for 5 minutes.
Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add half of the chicken skin-side down and sear until the bottom is dark golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large plate skin-side up (it will not be cooked through). Repeat searing the remaining chicken and adding to the plate.
Add 1 sliced large white onion and 8 to 10 ounces quartered cremini mushrooms to the pot. Season with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until the onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the mushrooms and onions and toss until evenly coated. Stir in 3/4 cup dry white wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/4 cups warm water, 2 fresh parsley sprigs, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 dried bay leaf. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, arranging the chicken skin-side up. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced slightly and deeply flavored, and the chicken is very tender, about 50 minutes.
Stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream and cook gently on medium-low heat for 5 minutes for the flavors to meld. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Place 2 large egg yolks in a small bowl. While whisking with a fork, slowly pour in about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk until combined. Stir the egg mixture into the chicken fricassée until combined. Remove and discard the herbs stems and bay leaf. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve with potatoes, bread, or pasta.
Recipe Notes
Substitutions:
Low-sodium chicken broth can be used in place of the water; reduce the amount of salt in Step 3 to 1/2 teaspoon.
Cremini mushrooms can be replaced by other seasonal mushrooms.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Further Reading
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
Do Water Filters Really Work — And Which Ones Are the Best?
Reese’s Just Launched a Limited-Edition Peanut Butter Cup, and It Tastes 4x Better than the Original
