Chicken Fricassee – Julia Child

[nverland]

Chicken Fricassee – Julia Child
Yield: 4-6 portions Time: 2 hours

ingredients:

chicken
2½-3 lbs chicken, cut up into pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
4 tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp white pepper
3 tbsp flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
small herb bouquet (2 parsley sprigs, ⅓ bay leaf, and ⅛ tsp thyme), tied in washed cheesecloth

white-braised onions
18-24 shallots, peeled
½ cup water
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
small herb bouquet (2 parsley sprigs, ⅛ tsp thyme, and ⅓ bay leaf), tied in cheesecloth

stewed Mushrooms
¼ lb. fresh mushrooms
⅓ cup water
⅛ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter

sauce
2 egg yolks
½ cup whipping cream
salt and white pepper, to taste
drops of lemon juice
pinch of nutmeg

Final assembly
1-2 tb softened butter

procedure:

chicken
Dry the chicken thoroughly in a towel.
In a heavy casserole or skillet, cook the onions, carrots, and celery slowly in butter for about 5 minutes, or until they are almost tender but not browned. Push them to one side.
Raise heat slightly and add the chicken. Turn it every minute for 3-4 minutes or until the meat has stiffened slightly, without coloring to more than a light golden yellow.
Lower heat, cover the pan, and cook very slowly for about 10 minutes, turning the chicken once. It should swell slightly, stiffen more, but not deepen in color.
Sprinkle salt, white pepper, and flour on all sides of the chicken. Turn and roll each piece to coat the flour with the cooking butter. Cover and continue cooking slowly for 4 minutes more.
Remove from heat and pour in the chicken stock, shaking the pan to blend the liquid and the flour. Add the wine, the herb bouquet, and more stock or water, so the liquid just covers the chicken. Bring to the simmer. Check for seasoning, adding salt as needed.
Cover and maintain at a slow simmer for 25-30 minutes. The chicken is done when the drumsticks are tender if pinched and the chicken juices run clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. When done, remove chicken to a side dish, keeping the cooking liquid in the pan.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the white-braised onions and the stewed mushrooms.

white-braised onions
Place onions in a saucepan or skillet with the liquid, butter, seasonings, and herb bouquet.
Cover and simmer very slowly, rolling the onions in the saucepan from time to time, for 40-50 minutes. Add more liquid as needed. The onions should not color, and should be perfectly tender yet retain their shape.
Remove herb bouquet.

stewed mushrooms
Trim and wash mushrooms and slice lengthwise.
Bring the water, salt, lemon juice, and butter to a boil in a saucepan.
Add mushrooms and toss to cover them with the liquid. Cover and boil moderately fast, tossing frequently, for 5 minutes.

sauce
Add the cooking juices from the onions and the mushrooms to the cooking liquid left in the pot.
Simmer the cooking liquid for 2-3 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, stirring frequently, until it reduces and thickens enough to coat a spoon nicely. Correct the seasoning as needed. You should have 2-2½ cups.
Whisk together the egg yolks and the cream in a separate mixing bowl. Continue beating and add the hot sauce by small spoonfuls until about a cupful has gone in. Beat in the rest of the sauce in a thin stream.
Pour the sauce back into the pan. Set over moderately high heat and stir constantly, reach all over the bottom and sides of the pot, until the sauce comes to a boil. Boil for a minute, stirring.
Correct the seasoning with salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and drops of lemon juice as needed.
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.

final assembly
Arrange the chicken, the onions, and the mushrooms in a casserole. Pour the sauce over it.
To prevent a skin from forming over the sauce, spoon over a film of cream, stock, or milk. Set aside uncovered.
To reheat, set casserole over moderate heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 5 minutes, until chicken is hot through, basting it frequently with the sauce.
Off heat and right before serving, tilt the casserole, add the softened butter, and baste the chicken with the sauce until the butter has absorbed into it.
Serve with rice or noodles and decorate with sprigs of fresh parsley.