If you are 50 years old or older & from the country in Southwest Louisiana, a lot of you probably raised chickens or remember family members that did. One of the most satisfying Sunday meals was a fresh yard chicken smothered in a thick fricassee’, (Chicken Stew). The flavour from a corn-fed, coupe-raised chicken was just unbeatable. Yard-raised chickens can be cooked longer so that Fricassee’s gravy comes out bursting with flavour without falling all apart compared to most commercial-raised poultry. You can also substitute the roaster chicken with a hen, duck, rooster, guinea, goose, or any poultry of your choice. Here’s how I prepare my chicken fricassee’
Ingredients:
- 1 medium to large seasoned cut-up roaster chicken or poultry of choice.
- 1 large onion
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1 clove diced garlic
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Dark Roux
- Pot of cooked rice.
Preparation:
- Sauté your chosen meat to golden brown colour, preferably in a cast iron black pot, removing from the pot when done.
- Once your chicken is done, in the same oil, sauté 1 large onion, 1 large bell pepper, & 1 clove garlic until golden brown.
- Once the trinity is sautéed, add 1 quart of chicken stock & bring to a boil. Once stock at a rolling boil, add dark roux to the thickness consistency of your preference (I prefer mine very thick).
- Once the thickness desired is achieved, lower heat to medium & let the roux cook for approximately 1 hr.
- Once the roux has cooked 1 hour on medium heat, turn the heat to high & add the breasts & thighs of the chicken.
- After the breasts & thighs have cooked for 15 min, add drumsticks & back of the chicken to the breasts & thighs in a pot, still cooking on high heat.
- After the drumsticks, & back have cooked for 10 min in the pot, add chicken wings, cover with lid & lower heat to low.
- When wings start to split from cooking, turn the heat off, fricassee’ is done.
- Let it rest for 15 min before serving over rice.