Erin's favorite recipe: Fluffy Chicken Fricassee

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. Ready-cut frying chicken (a selection of parts, or all one kind),
thoroughly dried

Salt and pepper

16 to 20 small white onions, peeled (or double the amount if you want to use tiny
frozen peeled raw onions)

3 Tb flour

1 quart (3/4 lb.) fresh mushrooms, trimmed, washed, and quartered

Optional enrichment: 2 to3 Tb butter

3 to 4 Tb butter

1/2 tsp tarragon

2 cups dry white wine or 1 ??ps dry white French Vermough

About 2 cups chicken bouillon

About 1/2 cup heavy cream

Drops of fresh lemon juice


Over moderate heat, cook butter in pan until foaming. Add chicken pieces and turn frequently in the butter for several minutes, regulating heat so chicken does not brown. Meat should stiffen slightly in contrast to its squashy raw state, and become a golden yellow.

Then season chicken pieces with salt and pepper; add tarragon. Place the onions around the chicken. Cover and cook slowly 10 minutes, turning once. Uncover pan, sprinkle on the flour, turning chicken and onions so flour is absorbed; cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning once or twice. Remove from heat, gradually stir and swirl in the wine and enough stock or bouillon almost to cover the chicken.

Cover pan and simmer slowly 25 to 30 minutes, then test chicken; remove those pieces that are tender, and continue cooking the rest a few minutes longer. If onions are not quite tender, continue cooking them; then return all to pan, add mushrooms, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. Taste carefully, and correct seasoning.

Add 1/2 cup of cream, and bring to the simmer, thinning out if necessary with spoonfuls of more bream until sauce coats chicken and vegetables lightly. Correct seasoning again, adding drops of lemon juice to taste.

Rice goes GREAT with this dish!!