Chicken Fricassee

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Serves 4

This take on the French classic makes for a saucy and elegant dish with hardly any effort.

Ingredients

  • 4 Smart Chicken leg quarters

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

  • 2 small onions, diced

  • 3 carrots halved and sliced into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 leek, washed and sliced

  • 1 cup white wine

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 3 fresh bay leaves

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil. Sear the chicken until golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions, carrots, and leeks and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened slightly. Deglaze with the wine and add the cream, stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the chicken. Transfer the dish to the stovetop and reduce the sauce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve the chicken with a generous amount of sauce.

Recipe created by Benjamin Maides, Chef, Au Courant Regional Kitchen, Omaha, Nebraska