Fricassea di Pollastri: This chicken fricassee recipe is drawn from a volume entitled Il Cuoco Piemontese, which was published in 1766, and was one of the first books written in Italian to present French recipes. As is typical of recipes of the time, its directions are more general than exact; this gives the cook room to experiment.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Ingredients:
- See Below
Preparation:
Take two well-fleshed normal-sized free range chickens, flame them to remove any pinfeathers they may have, chop them into pieces, and set them to soak in warm water with the liver, gizzard (cut it open and rinse out the contents) and neck. After a few minutes drain the pieces and transfer them to a pot with a chunk of unsalted butter, a bunch of parsley, several shallots, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, several basil leaves, two cloves, some sliced mushrooms, and a slice of prosciutto. Simmer it all over a low flame, turning the pieces occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated; at this point add a goodly sprinkling of flour and some hot water. Season all with salt and pepper, and cook until the sauce is again reduced. By now the chicken should be done; lightly beat three egg yolks and dilute them with milk or cream. Stir the egg mixture into the chicken and heat all gently until the sauce thickens, being careful to keep it from boiling. Season it to taste with lemon juice or vinegar, then arrange the chicken pieces on a platter, in the positions they occupied when the bird was alive, spoon the sauce and the mushrooms over them, and serve.
If you want a whiter fricassee, skin the chicken pieces before you cook them. To make fricassee alla bourgeoise, arrange the chicken pieces on a heat-proof serving platter and cover them with crumbled crustless bread, which you will then want to dot with butter. Heat the dish through in the oven to brown the bread and serve. The authors note that this is a very good way to serve a fricassee a second time, because the absence of a piece or two won't be immediately apparent.
If you want a whiter fricassee, skin the chicken pieces before you cook them. To make fricassee alla bourgeoise, arrange the chicken pieces on a heat-proof serving platter and cover them with crumbled crustless bread, which you will then want to dot with butter. Heat the dish through in the oven to brown the bread and serve. The authors note that this is a very good way to serve a fricassee a second time, because the absence of a piece or two won't be immediately apparent.
