Mediterranean Chicken Fricasee World Cuisine Today Magazine www.worldcuisinetoday.com
This recipe is dedicated to my grandmothers, Hedka (Rogalla) Hall and Rita (Harris) Gordy. My grandma Hedka was from Eastern Europe, and loved to serve Chicken with Rice and Sauteed Spinach. One of the more delicate dishes she would prepare was Chicken Fricasee. In my later life, after she had passed on, I began working at a Mediterranean restaurant, Papaspiros Greek Restaurant, in Oak Park, Illinois. The heirloom recipes, had the feeling of home. Similarities to my grandmothers, and great grandmothers, lofted into the air. In deference to both experiences, my grandmothers' cooking, and watching our chefs lovingly prepare authentic dishes, I have developed my own version of Chicken Fricasee, perhaps, to start a new tradition.
First, purchase a high quality stewing hen, preferably as my other grandmother Rita lovingly told me, without water added or hormones. How correct she was. My grandma Hedka, on the other hand, would simply round one up from the back yard. Now there is convenience!
Chicken Fricasee
Ingredients
One Large Chicken Chemical Free Cut Into Pieces (4-5 Pounds)
One Large White Onion Minced
One Cup Organic Celery With Leaves Minced
Two Garlic Cloves Peeled and Minced
One Eighth Cup Minced Flat Leaf Parsley
Two to Three Tablespoons Minced Dill
Three Scallions Minced
One Cup Jarred Artichoke Hearts Finely Chopped
Three Cups Organic Chicken Broth
One Cup Pinot Grigio, Reisling or Boutari Moschofilero Greek Wine
Spices: One Fresh Minced Bay Leaf, One Teaspoon Ground Cardamom, One Teaspoon Kosher Salt, One Teaspoon Black Pepper, One Tablespoon Sweet Hungarian Paprika.
Juice of One Lemon
One Stick of Unsalted Butter
Six Tablespoons Flour
Three Tablespoons Canola Oil
Method
1) In a large Dutch oven style pot, melt three Tablespoons of butter and three Tablespoons of oil. Add the minced onion, and celery. Sautee until translucent stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional few minutes. Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces. Add a slight amount of lemon juice to each chicken piece. Sprinkle with the Cardamom, Salt, Black Pepper, and Hungarian Sweet Paprika. Let butter and oil come to a sizzle, reduce to medium heat and brown chicken pieces on all sides for roughly ten minutes, two to three minutes per rotation. Try not to burn the spice rub.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put one cup of organic broth in the bottom of an oven safe baking dish. Bake tented with foil and baste with the liquid, or some melted butter every half hour for an hour and a half.
3) In the Dutch oven style pot place the white wine, and three cups of broth. Add to the sauteed vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil briefly and swirl in 1/4 cup of the lemon juice. Simmer for ten minutes on medium low covered open a crack.
4) In a small pot melt six Tablespoons of butter, and mix with six Tablespoons of flour added gradually. Cook until slightly golden. Whisk with one cup of scalding broth, again gradually. Add to dutch oven mixture whisking constantly and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and swirl in the minced parsley, dill, scallion as well as minced artichoke hearts and cook on medium heat until slightly bubbling, for eight minutes.
5) When chicken is done, remove from oven and let rest covered for fifteen minutes. Place the chicken pieces on a nice platter and garnish with a few tablespoons of the parsley, and some lemon wedges. Turn oven off and place platter in oven to keep warm or tent with foil again.
6) To serve spoon a bit of the hot sauce over the chicken pieces, and serve the rest in a gravy boat on the side.
Pair This Recipe With Sauteed Baby Spinach, and Fluffy Long Grain Rice.
Serves 4 to 5 adults
Recipe developed by Sarah J Hall Originally Published: August 19, 2018
Republished October 20, 2019
