Select chickens that are ready to cook, already cleaned and prepared by the butcher (5.5 to 6 lbs. total). Cut them into 4 or 8 pieces.
Chicken bones and giblets
x 2
Make some chicken stock. Place the chicken carcasses in a pan.
Yellow onion
x 200 grams
Leeks, the white part only
x 200 grams
Celery stalk
x 200 grams
Bouquet Garni
x 1 bunch
Cloves
x 2 grams
Carrot
x 200 grams
Boil the chicken carcasses with some aromatic herbs for an hour or two then pass through a strainer.
Button mushroom
x 250 grams
Butter
x 20 grams
Lemon
x ½
Salt
x 1 pinch
Prepare the other ingredients: Pare the mushrooms, then cook them, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water, with some lemon juice and butter.
Put them aside in their cooking fluids, do not drain.
Butter
x 20 grams
Granulated sugar
x As much as needed
Small onions
x 250 grams
Cook the peeled onions using a white glaze: put the onions in a pan with the butter, sugar and water covering half of the ingredients.
Cover them with cooking paper, creating an entrance for a small chimney, also made of cooking paper, and cook for a dozen or so minutes. Remove the paper and continue to cook.
Salt
x As much as needed
Pepper
x As much as needed
Butter
x 80 grams
Start the fricassee: Salt and pepper the pieces of chicken. Firm them up in a skillet with the butter, skin side down to start.
Turn them over, cook on the other side without letting them brown. Put aside.
Yellow onion
x 120 grams
Add the finely chopped onions into the skillet, sweat them lightly, do not allow them to brown.
Flour
x 50 grams
Dust (powder with flour), slowly cook the white roux for a few minutes.
Cover with 33.8 oz. or 4 and 1/4 cups of chicken stock and put the chicken pieces back into the pan, skin side down.
Slowly cook the fricassee, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Turn the chicken over when they are 2/3rds cooked, check the seasoning and make sure the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove the wings a few minutes before the drumsticks.
Crème double
x ⅓ liter
Finish the fricassee: Remove the pieces of chicken. Reduce the sauce if necessary, add the cream.
Cook slowly for about 12 minutes. Verify the thickness and seasoning.
Add the mushrooms and pearl onions on top of the pieces of chicken. Pour through a fine gauge strainer and put the fricassee aside, keeping it warm and covered.
Prepare by placing the bones of the wing and the drumsticks towards the center of the cocotte. Distribute the sauce and vegetables on top.
Old fashioned chicken fricassee