Chicken Fricassee (Fricassee de Poulet a L'Ancienne)

430 Ratings
  • 5 123
  • 4 141
  • 3 98
  • 2 50
  • 1 18

The original French comfort food, chicken fricassée is a classic—with as many variations as there are grandmothers in France. It's halfway between a sauté and a stew, simmered chicken with hearty vegetables in a rich, silky sauce. The dish relies on humble ingredients and is made in just a single pot. Traditionally it's served over rice, creamy mashed potatoes, or lightly buttered egg noodles. You'll also want to have a loaf of crusty bread on hand to sop up the extra sauce.

Martha Stewart Living, October 2012

Gallery

Credit: Tara Donne

Recipe Summary

prep:
35 mins
total:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
4
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Brown Chicken
    Season chicken on both sides with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the oil to pot. When butter melts and foam subsides, add half the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer; do not crowd pot. (If butter begins to blacken, lower heat.) Fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

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  • Saute Mirepoix
    Reduce heat to medium, and add mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Saute mirepoix, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

  • Cook Mushrooms and Flour
    Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken, become glossy, and begin to release liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until flour is absorbed by vegetables and is no longer visible, about 1 minute.

  • Pour in Wine and Broth
    Add wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.

  • Simmer Chicken
    Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. Tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.

  • Make and Add Liaison
    To make the liaison (sauce thickener), whisk together egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into liaison to temper it. Stir tempered liaison into pot.

  • Finish with Tarragon, Lemon, and Butter
    Return chicken to pot. Add tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine, and serve.

Cook's Notes

Have your butcher cut the breast in half, keeping the wings attached but removing the wing tips.

Cook's Notes

Fricassee can be made one day in advance -- just leave out the tarragon until you're ready to serve the meal. Let fricassee cool completely in the pot, and then refrigerate it. Before serving, simmer the fricassee over medium heat, uncovered, until hot, and stir in the tarragon.

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Reviews (13)

430 Ratings
  • 5 123
  • 4 141
  • 3 98
  • 2 50
  • 1 18
Martha Stewart Member
12/31/2019
This was just way too long to cook the chicken, so tough and flavorless at the end. also, not really sure what was gonna happen with the Liaison, but didn't make the broth/sauce very good either.
Martha Stewart Member
12/07/2018
I love your recipes... the website not much. It missis Martha's precise touch... the recipe print is very hard to follow on the screen, on print. The "login" or account create is stalling... not what I used from Martha Stewart...Please, let me love this site! Your website needs some TLC...
Martha Stewart Member
01/14/2018
I make this recipe and at the end I add capers instead of the lemon and tarragon. It is delicious and I serve it over rice. My daughter’s favorite since age 2 and she is now 17!
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Martha Stewart Member
11/05/2017
So tasty and different from other Chicken dishes we have made.
Martha Stewart Member
10/12/2017
This was delicious. The lemon and tarragon at the end added bright, fresh flavor to the sauce, which was already very tasty and hearty without it. My only deviation from this recipe was that out of habit I marinated my chicken in salted buttermilk, but considering that you simmer this on a milder heat for such a long time, I don't think I needed to. The chicken came out very tender with this cooking method and I'm definitely interested in making this recipe again. Like others have said, it might not be necessary to use this much liquid -- I ended up with a heavy amount of sauce that I would have wanted to reduce more if I weren't so hungry and it weren't so late when I finished.
Martha Stewart Member
09/25/2016
I made this recipe with chicken thighs and drumsticks and it was out of this world delicious! The perfect way to kick off fall. I used (and drank) Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay with this and it made all the difference (use a good white wine). I ladled it over a bowl of jasmine rice made with chicken broth and I had to have seconds. Definitely will make this again :).
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Martha Stewart Member
01/18/2015
Made this recipe with 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It turned out wonderfully but I did reduce the amount of broth that I used--from 4 cups to about 2 cups. I could've likely just used one cup--at the end I still had ample sauce. I also used dried tarragon instead of fresh. Overall it turned out beautifully, however, I'm not sure if I'll be making it again (just due to personal preferences). Perfect dutch oven recipe though! Easy to follow and great results.
Martha Stewart Member
08/26/2014
I used dark meat only. The sauce was too runny for our liking but I took out the chicken and reduced the sauce. A few more tweeks and it was delicious. I am so glad I found this recipe. I rarely eat French food anymore. When I lived in Australia French food at that time was the trend and I remember eating at a wonderful French restaurant. My friend was far more adventurous than I was and ate escargot. My family now want to try more French food.
Martha Stewart Member
02/24/2014
Made exactly as stated except for I used chicken breasts. Turned out delicious. Will make again and again and again...
Martha Stewart Member
01/18/2014
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! So good. Follow the recipe as is. We served with egg noodles and it was a perfect comfort food.
Martha Stewart Member
11/23/2013
So good! BUT....be sure to use heavy cream! A light cream may curdle! It's still tasty, but not very smooth!
Martha Stewart Member
04/03/2013
Hands down delicious!!! I followed this recipe to a t with the exception of leaving out the wine. The chicken was so tender, that when poked with a fork it fell off the bone. The sauce was creamy and flavorful. Came out exactly like how it looks in the picture. Served with chibatta bread, perfect sponge to soak up all the juices.....2 words JUST YUM!
Martha Stewart Member
11/06/2012
Fabulous. The fresh tarragon finish was marvelous. I served the chicken on a bed of freshly riced yukon gold potatoes in a pasta dish, since the sauce was a bit runny and wouldn't reduce. I made two batches a day ahead, but them in a lasagna pan, and reheated gently. I sauteed the chicken very lightly as described in Julia Child's recipe, which keeps the chicken from drying out. I also used only breasts and thighs. Went well with a French light red Bordeaux.
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