Tag: cream

Chicken fricassee

I’m not sure how original this recipe is, Because I’ve been tinkering with it for years. According toWikipedia Fricassee is a ‘type’ of stew rather than an exact recipe – so I guess I’m fine. Anyway, here it is..

  • 6-8 chicken thighs, skin on
  • Flour, to roll the chicken in
  • Salt
  • 1/2 bottle white wine
  • A handful of shallots, rough chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Double cream- about 1 third of a cup
  • Mushrooms, sometimes

Coat the chicken with flour and put into a really hot Oiled pan.Turn once when browned-this. Gives it the deeply chickeny taste.

Add the wine garlic, just smashed, not cut or crushed, and fry for a moment.

Add the wine, salt and a little water so that the chicken is nearly covered.simmer gently till the chicken is tender (90mins +)

Remove the chicken from the stock, let it cool a little and remove the skin and bones.

Sieve the stock and put aside to let the fat float to the top (so it can be skimmed off)

In a pan, fany the shallots and mushrooms, add the stock with the fat removed. There should only be about 1/2 pint of stock. Reduce a little if theres toomuch.

Add back in the stripped chicken, and add the cream.

Check it’s seasoned properly, and serve. It’s good with rice or a baked spud. Mmmmmmm.

Gratin Dauphinois

Potatoes, cream and cheese- what’s not to like.  Whenever I make this I make more than I need, because it’s just sooo more-ish. It’s a cheesey potato side dish that goes really well with rich food or a steak. It takes a little time to prepare and cook up, but worth the wait.

Once cooked, the cheesey browned topping just looks great. Deird usually eats the toppng off any leftovers before it gets a chance to make it to the fridge. Dang.

Sometimes restaurants make this with a lot of cream and not a lot of potato- so there’s potato swimming in cream. I make it drier, so that you slice out a portion from a big dish, and it just about holds it’s shape.  Mmmmm. 

The best advice for making this is to cut the potato slices as thinly as you can. Use a mandolin if you have one, buy one if you haven’t.

1kg floury potatoes
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch nutmeg
75g gruyere, grated
300ml double cream
100ml milk

Slice potatoes thinly on a mandolin,
Butter a “lasagne” dish and layer in potatoes, with some garlic, nutmeg and cheese between layers.
Pour cream and milk over, so that it fills in the gaps, ans just covers the potatoes.
Sprinkle on remaining cheese.

Bake, for about 45 minutes- although it depends on how big a dish, and how deep it all is.