Recipe: French-Style Chicken Fricassee

FRENCH-STYLE CHICKEN FRICASSEE

2 medium (8 to 10 oz. each) Spanish onions
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 lb chicken, cut into serving pieces and skinned
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 bay leaf
chopped fresh parsley (garnish)
hot cooked noodles or rice

Peel onions and slice 1/4-inch thick. Separate into rings, measuring 6 cups; set aside.

Using a mortar and pestle or a cup and the back of a spoon, thoroughly mix salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Rub mixture on chicken pieces. Cover chicken and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Toss chicken pieces with flour.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat.

Brown chicken, a few pieces at a time, in skillet. Remove and reserve. Reduce heat to medium.

Pour chicken stock into skillet and with a wooden spoon or paddle, stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan. This is called deglazing the pan. When pan is deglazed and stock has begun boiling, remove pan from heat and reserve.

Place 1/3 of the sliced onions on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole. Top with half the chicken. Layer another 1/3 of the onions. Top with chicken and then the remaining onions. Pour reserved chicken stock over chicken and onions in casserole. Add bay leaf.

Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until chicken is tender.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve over hot noodles or rice.

Makes 4-6 servings