Classic German Chicken Fricassee with Rice
shared by Nibblore Deutsch
This classic German chicken fricassee combines tender chicken, white asparagus, peas, and mushrooms in a mild, creamy sauce. Homemade chicken broth and fresh lemon juice give it a rich yet balanced flavor. Served with fluffy long-grain rice, it makes a comforting family lunch or dinner. • Keep the broth at a gentle simmer: vigorous boiling will make it cloudy and may dry out the chicken. • If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in extra chicken broth 1 tbsp at a time; if it is too thin, simmer it uncovered for another 2–3 minutes. • Freeze any leftover broth in portions for soups or sauces. • Use a small stewing chicken instead of chicken thighs; depending on its size, increase the cooking time to about 60–75 minutes. • In season, use fresh white asparagus: peel it, cut it into pieces, and cook it separately for 8–10 minutes. • For a lighter sauce, replace the heavy cream with light cooking cream. • Replace white button mushrooms with cremini mushrooms, or omit them if necessary. Store the fricassee and rice separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the fricassee over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if needed; reheat the rice thoroughly with a splash of water. The fricassee can be frozen without the rice for up to 2 months and thawed overnight in the refrigerator.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 700 gchicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
- 1.2 lcold water
- 1onion, peeled and halved
- 1carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1bay leaf
- 6black peppercorns
- 1 ½ tspsalt
- 250 glong-grain rice
- 500 mlwater, for the rice
- 200 gwhite button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 150 gjarred white asparagus, drained and cut into 3 cm pieces
- 120 gfrozen peas
- 50 gbutter
- 45 gplain flour
- 600 mlchicken broth, reserved from cooking the chicken
- 150 mlheavy cream
- 2 tbsplemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 pinchnutmeg, freshly grated
- ¼ tspground white pepper
- 2 tbspparsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1Place the chicken thighs, 1.2 l cold water, onion, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tsp salt in a pot with a capacity of at least 3 l. Slowly bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface with a spoon.
- 2Cook the chicken thighs over low to medium heat for 35–40 minutes, keeping the broth just below a full boil so it bubbles only gently. The chicken is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and reaches at least 75°C at the thickest part.
- 3Lift the chicken thighs from the broth and leave them to cool for 10 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and measure out 600 ml for the sauce. Remove the skin and bones, then pull the meat into bite-size pieces; discard the cooked onion, carrot, and seasonings.
- 4For the rice, bring 500 ml water and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice, return it to a boil, then cover and cook over the lowest heat according to the package directions, about 15–18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
- 5While the rice cooks, melt 15 g butter in a large, deep frying pan or wide saucepan over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms for 5–6 minutes, until their released liquid has evaporated and the edges are lightly browned. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
- 6Melt the remaining 35 g butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly without letting it brown. Gradually whisk in the 600 ml warm chicken broth until the sauce is smooth.
- 7Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the cream, lemon juice, nutmeg, and white pepper.
- 8Add the chicken, mushrooms, asparagus, and frozen peas to the sauce. Heat gently for 5–7 minutes, until the peas are tender and the fricassee is piping hot. Do not let it boil vigorously, as this can dry out the chicken.
- 9Taste the fricassee and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it among four plates. Spoon the chicken fricassee alongside or over the rice and sprinkle with parsley.