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Chicken Fricassee (Fricassée de Poulet à l’Ancienne)

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Chicken Fricassee (Fricassée de Poulet à l’Ancienne) is a traditional French chicken stew made with tender chicken, mushrooms, onions, white wine, and cream. This comforting dish is perfect for cold weather and can be made ahead for easy reheating.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs chicken (thighs and legs recommended)
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and ¼” sliced
  • ½ lb cremini mushrooms, ¼” sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (plus more as needed)
  • ½ cup dry white wine (or dry white vermouth)
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (for topping)

Instructions

  1. In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over moderate heat.
  2. In batches, brown chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
  3. Return chicken to pan, skin side up. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Flip chicken, season with another ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
  5. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions and cook for 3–5 minutes.
  6. Add mushrooms and ½ tsp salt. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
  7. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
  8. Deglaze with wine, scraping bits from the pan. Add chicken stock, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf.
  9. Return chicken to pan. Add more stock as needed to cover ⅔ of the chicken. Bring to a simmer.
  10. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until chicken reaches 165°F, about 25–30 minutes.
  11. Remove chicken and set aside. Simmer sauce on medium-high until reduced to 2–3 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf.
  12. Optional: To thicken more, stir in a slurry of 2 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp water or stock.
  13. Add cream and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  14. Return chicken to pan and cook on low for 5 minutes.
  15. Top with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Make it ahead: Cool completely and refrigerate covered. Reheat over low heat before serving.
  • Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for the richest flavor.
  • For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://yumfoodusa.com/chicken-fricassee-fricassee-de-poulet-a-lancienne/