flipThe festive chicken fricassée
The festive chicken fricassée
Why this dish? At the Duplays' as in any well-off artisan family, poultry was the dish for Sundays and great occasions — a measured luxury, far from court banquets. One can easily imagine such a dish on the table on a day when Robespierre, a rare guest, shared the simple joy of his hosts.
Chicken pieces browned in butter then simmered in a bound broth, sharpened with a dash of verjuice or white wine and thickened with egg yolks: a white fricassée, refined without being lavish.
For a feast day, my hosts did honor to a chicken — and believe me, citizen, that was great rejoicing in a cabinetmaker's home. It is cut into pieces, browned in butter, then simmered with a little broth and a dash of verjuice for a tangy note. At the end, the sauce is thickened with beaten egg yolks, stirring off the great fire lest it curdle. Such a dish is worth all the feasts of the former nobles, because it is shared among honest people.
- •Young chicken — one, cut in pieces (meat)
- •Fresh butter — a good knob (cooking)
- •Broth — as needed (simmering)
- •Verjuice or white wine — a dash (acidity)
- •Egg yolks — two or three (thickening)
- •Parsley, spring onion, mushrooms — as needed (garnish)
- •Salt, pepper, nutmeg — to taste (seasoning)
The festive chicken fricassée
Chicken pieces browned in butter then simmered in a bound broth, sharpened with a dash of verjuice or white wine and thickened with egg yolks: a white fricassée, refined without being lavish.
Why this dish? At the Duplays' as in any well-off artisan family, poultry was the dish for Sundays and great occasions — a measured luxury, far from court banquets. One can easily imagine such a dish on the table on a day when Robespierre, a rare guest, shared the simple joy of his hosts.
For a feast day, my hosts did honor to a chicken — and believe me, citizen, that was great rejoicing in a cabinetmaker's home. It is cut into pieces, browned in butter, then simmered with a little broth and a dash of verjuice for a tangy note. At the end, the sauce is thickened with beaten egg yolks, stirring off the great fire lest it curdle. Such a dish is worth all the feasts of the former nobles, because it is shared among honest people.
Ingredients (period version)
- Young chicken — one, cut in pieces (meat)
- Fresh butter — a good knob (cooking)
- Broth — as needed (simmering)
- Verjuice or white wine — a dash (acidity)
- Egg yolks — two or three (thickening)
- Parsley, spring onion, mushrooms — as needed (garnish)
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Free-range chicken in pieces — 1 (approx. 1.3 kg) (meat)
- Butter — 50 g (cooking)
- Chicken broth — 40 cl (simmering)
- Dry white wine or verjuice — 10 cl (acidity)
- Egg yolks — 3 (thickening)
- Button mushrooms — 200 g (garnish)
- Parsley + spring onion — 1 small bunch (garnish)
- Salt, pepper, grated nutmeg — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Brown the chicken pieces in butter without coloring them, just stiffening the flesh.
- Add broth and white wine, add the mushrooms and herbs, then simmer covered for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove the pieces and keep warm; reduce the sauce slightly.
- Beat the egg yolks with a ladleful of warm sauce, pour back into the pot off the heat and stir without boiling to thicken.
- Adjust salt, pepper and nutmeg, return the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.
How it was made : The chicken fricassée "with egg-yolk liaison" is a classic of 18th-century bourgeois cuisine, codified by Menon. Verjuice (green grape juice) or wine provided the acidity that lemon, more expensive, sometimes replaced. It was a dish of modest standing: noble by the white meat, but without the spice excess of aristocratic tables.
The contemporary twist : Serve in an individual cocotte with a sprinkle of flat parsley and a hint of grated orange zest — a nod to the host's favorite fruit.
Sources : Menon, La Cuisinière bourgeoise (1746)
Robespierre · Charactorium
