Chicken Fricassee

Meal in a Bowl, p. 61

25 g [2 Tbsp] butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

200 g [7 ounces] button mushrooms, sliced

1.5 kg [3.5 lbs] chicken pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 sticks celery, sliced

1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

1 fresh bay leaf

1 cup (250 ml) cream

1 kg [2.2 lbs] King Edward or russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup (170 ml) milk, heated

70 g [5 Tbsp] butter, extra

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

We just cut up chicken breasts for our "chicken pieces."

Lots of choppins!

Heat half the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until soft and golden. 

One of the most beautiful smells in the world, right there.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Heat the remaining oil and butter, add the chicken pieces in batches and cook for 4 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the pan.

Add the onion and celery to the pan, and cook for 8 minutes, or until soft. 

Fried bunneh food!

Pour in the white wine and stir well. Add the stock, chicken, mushrooms, bay leaf and cream. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

But you don't get to rest yet!

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the potato and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, add the milk and extra butter, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. 

Or, if a potato masher is unavailable, go for the heaviest, bluntest object you can find. We used a meat tenderizer.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the chopped parsley to the chicken and season. 

Glamour shot.

Serve with mashed potato. 

We served it over the mashed potato. It just made sense.

My Rating: 4/5 "Lots of subtle flavors here! I actually would have liked the tastes to pop more, because a lot of the vegetable-ness got boiled out of the vegetables. But the chicken gets beautifully tender, and the wine-based cream sauce accents the flavor of the meat quite well. Plus, everybody should try making chicken fricassee at least one. It's just one of those dishes, you know?"