Chicken Fricassee (Fricassée de Poulet à l'Ancienne)

★★★☆☆

Prep: 45 mins Cook: 45 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients

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 inch sliced
½ lb cremini mushrooms, gently scrubbed and ¼ inch sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (possibly more)
½ cup dry white wine (or dry white vermouth)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, whole
1 bay leaf, whole
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.
3. Reduce heat to low and set all chicken back in pan, skin side up. Season chicken with ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Flip chicken over to other side and season with another ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper. Cover once more and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove browned chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
5. Increase heat to medium-high. Add in sliced onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Add in sliced mushrooms. Season with another ½ tsp of salt and cook until the mushrooms have browned (about 10 minutes more).
7. Add in flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often.
8. Add in white wine (or vermouth), scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in chicken stock, followed by the minced garlic, fresh thyme, and the bay leaf.
9. Add in browned chicken. Add in additional chicken stock, as needed, to cover ⅔ of the chicken. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a simmer.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a low simmer until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (about 25 to 30 minutes).
11. Remove chicken and, once again, set aside on a plate. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until it has thickened and reduced to about 2 to 3 cups (about 10 minutes). Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf.
12. Add in cream and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.
13. Place cooked chicken back into pan with sauce mixture. Cook on low for 5 minutes.
14. Top with freshly chopped parsley, as desired. Serve immediately.

Make it ahead: Chicken fricassee can very easily be made the day before. Just allow the stew to cool completely before chilling it, covered, in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply set over low heat until warmed through. To thicken sauce even more (without reducing it), combine 2 tsp of cornstarch (or arrowroot starch) with 1 tsp of chicken stock (or water) into a slurry and add into sauce.

Wine Pairing: Medium White