Novice cooks often find anything beyond broiling a hamburger or a pork chop to be too, too daunting. Chicken sautees or fricassees? Out of the question.
Actually, those two types of chicken dishes are easy-as-pie to prepare, although the finished products look and taste complicated. The most difficult aspect for a beginner might be cutting up a whole chicken, or you may choose to pay a little more for the prepackaged, cut-up chicken pieces of your choice.
Similar techniques are involved in doing sautees and fricassees.
Sauteeing ris quicker, more straightforward and done at the last minute. Fricasseeing involves a bit more work but is well suited for do-ahead preparation.
Chicken sautees
In a saute no liquid ever comes in contact with the chicken during cooking other than the melted butter or oil, or a combination of butter and oil, used at the start to sear it.
The saute is especially good when it is eaten as soon as it is cooked, when the meat is tender and succulent.
Here are the procedures involved in sauteeing:
– Over high heat in an open saute pan, brown the chicken pieces on both sides with some butter or oil, or both, about 10 minutes in all.
– Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook the pieces until done, from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.
– Transfer the chicken to a warm plate and make a sauce from the remaining cooking liquids, the brown coagulated bits stuck to the pan and additional liquid (wine, cream, or stock, for example), about 5 minutes.
Fricassees
In a fricassee the chicken is seared as a first step, exactly like a saute. Then a liquid is added for the remaining cooking time.
(Fricassees sometimes are confused with stews, but there is a difference: Stews involve cooking in liquid from the beginning.)
There are two kinds of fricassees-white and brown, reflecting the color of the sauce. This is not a good method to use for chickens labeled broilers because they are too delicate and tend to get stringy. The recipes that follow are for fryers and roasting chickens.
Equipment
All you need is a skillet or saute (frying) pan, preferably one that conducts heat very well. This is the time to use your best copper if you have it, or a high-quality stainless steel pan.
Cast-iron and aluminum pans, although good, have their limitations: If you add ingredients such as wine, eggs, tomatoes, artichokes or asparagus, the aluminum or iron will affect adversely the color and flavor of the dish.
Ideally, the pan should be just large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer; when they overlap, the juices will not evaporate as quickly, and you will find yourself stewing the meat instead of sauteeing it. You also will need a cover for the pan or a large-enough piece of foil.
Basic saute/fricassee recipe:
1. Heat saute pan to high with enough fat to coat bottom. Use half butter and half safflower oil, all oil, or chicken fat (schmalz).
2. Dry each piece of chicken with a paper towel just before placing it in the pan, skin side down. Use tongs to turn pieces over and cook until nicely seared on both sides.
3. Reduce heat to simmer and cover pan. Vegetables sometimes are added at this point. If fricasseeing, add liquid. After 8 to 10 minutes remove chicken breasts. Test for doneness by pressing chicken with a wooden spoon: They are done when springy to the touch.
4. Cover pan and cook remaining pieces until done, about 10 minutes. When pierced with the tip of a knife, juices in thigh will be clear, not rosy. Transfer to a warmed dish.
5. Pour off as much of the clear fat as you can without losing any dark brown meat juices.
6. With a saute, add a half cup or more of liquid to the pan, such as white wine, chicken stock, or even water. Raise heat and with a wooden spoon scrape up all of the browned bits on bottom of pan, stirring to dissolve them into the liquid. Continue cooking until the liquid reduces and becomes more flavorful and concentrated.
7. Enrich the sauce, as desired, with whipping cream, softened butter, additional homemade stock (canned stocks do not reduce well), or a mixture of egg yolks and whipping cream.
8. Return chicken pieces to pan and stir to coat lightly. Serve immediately.
SIMPLE CHICKEN SAUTE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds) cut in 8 pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons safflower oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried herbs: tarragon, thyme, marjoram
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup each: dry white wine, stock (chicken or beef)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1. Using basic recipe above, sear chicken in 1 tablespoon of butter and oil.
2. Season meat with salt, pepper and sprinkle with herbs. Transfer breast pieces after 10 minutes to a warm platter. Continue cooking remaining pieces another 15 minutes. Transfer to the warm platter and cover with foil.
3. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from saute pan. Add shallots and saute over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and stock, heat to boil, scrape up browned bits and reduce to 1/2 cup. Off the heat whisk in butter. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.
RICHARD OLNEY`S SAUTEED CHICKEN AND FENNEL
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
In this dish food writer Richard Olney uses a variation of sauteing, finishing the cooking in the oven.
4 pounds bulb fennel
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heads of garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
1. Take off and reserve about 1 tablespoon of the fine fennel leaves. Remove any tough outer stalks from fennel, split the bulbs in half and boil in salted water for 6 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Cook fennel halves and garlic cloves over medium heat 30 minutes, tossing from time to time to lightly color. Salt midway through.
3. Transfer vegetables to a large baking dish with a slotted spoon; keep as much of the oil in pan as possible.
4. Sear chicken in same pan using same oil until nicely browned. Transfer chicken to baking dish. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Deglaze pan with white wine. Pour this over chicken, cover with a piece of aluminum foil pressed down on chicken. Put in oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Chop fennel leaves with parsley. Sprinkle over chicken just before serving.
CHICKEN FRICASSEE GEORGE SAND
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This is an old favorite, named after Chopin`s mistress, the writer and gourmet George Sand whose real name was Amadine Aurore Lucie Dupin, baroness Dudevant. It may be made up to 2 hours in advance, then reheated in a 250-degree oven. This version was developed by chef Albert Jorant, of La Varenne Cooking School, in Paris.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
1 small onion, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon leaf thyme
2/3 pound medium or small shrimp, shelled, deveined
Salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds) cut into 8 pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1. Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a saute pan. Add carrot and onion. Cook until tender and lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, thyme, shrimp, salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking about 2 minutes, tossing from time to time.
2. Carefully add cognac and light it with a match to flame shrimp and get rid of the alcohol. When flames subside add wine and stock, heat to simmer and cook 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a warm dish with a slotted spoon. Continue cooking liquids until reduced to 1 cup. Strain through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing down on vegetables to extract juices, then discard vegetables.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan and saute mushrooms for 8 minutes. They will absorb the butter, then render their juices; when the juices have cooked away and they start to brown they are ready. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the shrimp.
4. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat remaining butter and oil in pan and saute chicken as described in the master recipe. Transfer chicken to platter with shrimp and mushrooms and cover loosely with foil.
5. Heat broth in saucepan. Pour off all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of fat from saute pan. Add flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Off the heat add broth; heat to boil. Boil 2 minutes, whisking to remove lumps. Add cream and return to boil, stirring for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Add any juices that have accumulated in the platter. If making the dish in advance put a piece of plastic wrap tightly against the sauce to prevent a skin from forming; reheat before serving.
6. To serve, spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.
FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN VALLEY D`AUGE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This classic is from Normandy, famous for its apples and cream and calvados, a brandy similar to our applejack.
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds) cut into 8 pieces
Salt, freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1/3 cup calvados, applejack or brandy
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 shallots, minced
1 stalk minced celery
1 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1/2 teaspoon leaf thyme
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1. Dry chicken and sear it according to the master recipe, using 3 tablespoons butter and oil.
2. Warm calvados in a small saucepan, then very carefully light it with a match and immediately pour it, flaming, over chicken. Move pan back and forth to keep flames burning as long as possible. When flames die down add stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of pan. Set aside.
3. Melt remaining butter in another saute pan and saute shallots, celery, apples and thyme. Everything should be soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Spread this mixture over chicken, return to heat, and heat liquids to boil. Cover; reduce heat to simmer.
4. Remove breasts after 10 minutes. Continue cooking the rest another 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a heated platter and cover loosely with foil. Strain the cooking juices into the other saucepan, pressing down on vegetables to extract juices. Reduce over high heat to 1/2 cup.
5. Whisk egg yolks and cream in a bowl, then slowly dribble in hot sauce, continuing to whisk. Pour back into saucepan and return to a low heat for 3 minutes, stirring continually until sauce thickens. It will be too hot to touch for more than 2 to 3 seconds. Do not let it boil or yolks will curdle. Immediately take it off heat and whisk a few seconds to cool it. Adjust salt and pepper. Coat chicken pieces with sauce and sprinkle with parsley. –
