Chicken Fricassée

Winter is coming. The fall crisp in the air is beginning to dig deeper. Scarves serve a purpose rather than merely to add color to daily wear. I find myself lighting candles and sipping on cider to ease into the cold -- reminders that I'm not in Tucson anymore.

This Chicken Fricassée recipe caught my eye last month in Martha Stewart Living. It's all of the familiarity of chicken noodle soup, just a little fancier (and French-er) and without with starch. The mirepoix and herbs given this dish wonderful flavor, while the mushrooms, wine, and chicken add the earth and girth to the meal.

With only about an hour of combined prep and cook time, Chicken Fricassée can easily be a weeknight meal. I'll be eating it for the rest of the week to be sure.

Chicken Fricassée

adapted from Martha Stewart

yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs of chicken pieces

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup)

3 carrots, diced (1 cup)

4 celery stalk, diced (1 cup)

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Season chicken on both sides with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter and the oil to pot. When butter melts and foam subsides, add half the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer; do not crowd pot. (If butter begins to blacken, lower heat.) Fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium, and add mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Saute mirepoix, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken, become glossy, and begin to release liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until flour is absorbed by vegetables and is no longer visible, about 1 minute.

Add wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.

Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. Add the thyme and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.

To make the liaison (sauce thickener), whisk together egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into liaison to temper it. Stir tempered liaison into pot.

Return chicken to pot. Add tarragon and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine, and serve. Enjoy.

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Goat Cheese Tart with Basil, Mushrooms, and Shallots

Why does cheese have to taste so good? I would be a generous ten pounds skinnier if I gave up eating cheese, but, well, that's just not going to happen, so I made this tart full of goat cheese. Bon Appétit!

Basil and sauteed mushrooms & shallots are strewn through a creamy goat cheese filling inside of a classic Pâte Brisée crust. It's like a quiche, but with goat cheese instead of just eggs, and therefore more delicious. Cheeeeeeeeeeese...

This recipe works great for lunch or dinner, and can even be made into mini tarts as appetizers. I chose to flavor my tart with basil, mushrooms, and shallots, but feel free to play around with other herbs and veggies. I also imagine smearing a layer of jam or chutney on the tart crust before adding the filling could yield some interesting sweet/savory creations. Cherries and goat cheese is another great combo.

I can only vouch for this specific tart, which happens to be fantastic.

Goat Cheese Tart with Basil, Mushrooms, and Shallots

yields 1 8 in x 8 in tart, or 1 8 in round tart + a little extra (I made some mini tarts!)

Ingredients:
Tart:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup ice water

Goat Cheese Filling:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots
1/2 pound mushrooms
8 ounces goat cheese
3/4 cup milk (I used soy milk. You can use half-and-half or cream, too, for an even richer filling)
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the tart: Cut chilled butter into pieces. Place butter, flour, salt, sugar, and nutmeg (optional) in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (about 10 seconds). Leave food processor on and add ice water in a steady stream until the mixture resembles dough. Remove dough from food processor, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour (Dough can be frozen and used at a later time as well). While the tart dough is chilling, make the filling.

For the filling: Heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan over medium low heat. Chop shallots and mushrooms and saute for about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat. In a food processor, pulse the goat cheese, milk, eggs, basil, and pepper until smooth. Transfer filling to a bowl and stir in the shallots and mushrooms.

Preheat oven to 350 F. On a floured surface, roll out tart dough. Transfer to tart pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add filling. Return to over and bake for 30-40 minutes (or until the filling is set). Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Enjoy.
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