Chicken fricot is happiness in a bowl. This Acadian version of chicken and dumplings is the height of cold-weather comfort food. This is a humble, nostalgia-packed recipe that folks from my part of the world enjoy when feeling a tad under the weather, when a nor’easter rears its wintery head, or when we just want a taste of home. This version steers slightly away from the original, adding garlic and lemon, and will become part of your recipe repertoire for years to come.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (about 3½ to 4 pounds) or 2 bone-in chicken drumsticks, 2 bone-in chicken
thighs, and 2 bone-in chicken breasts, halved crosswise
Sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large white onion, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken stock, homemade
(page 200) or store-bought
6 cups water
1½ tablespoons summer savory, divided
2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon lemon zest
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley,for garnish
Directions
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces (see Cooking Note), and season all over with salt.
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat and melt the butter. When the butter has melted, and working in batches as necessary, add the chicken pieces skin side down and cook until the skin is golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until a beautiful sunshine color develops on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes. With tongs, transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 45 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the stock, water, chicken, 1 tablespoon of the summer savory, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Add the potatoes, and continue cooking for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork-tender. Remove from the heat.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat with 2 forks, discarding the skin and bones, and then return the meat to the broth. Skim and discard the fat on top of the broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, adding more salt or pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, the remaining ½ tablespoon of the summer savory, and lemon zest, season with salt, and mix well. While constantly stirring, gradually add about ½ to ¾ cup of water to the flour mixture until the dough comes together.
Return the chicken stew to the stove and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When simmering, drop tablespoon-sized portions of the dough into the fricot, cover, and cook for 7 minutes, or until the little dough balls are cooked through.
Divide your fricot into individual bowls, garnish with parsley, and enter a wonderful world of Acadian comfort.
Cooking Note: This recipe freezes perfectly, and I always have a batch or two at the ready in case a cold unexpectedly strikes. Make just the chicken stew, let cool to room temperature, and transfer to plastic freezer storage bags. When you’re ready to eat the stew, thaw the chicken mixture and bring to a simmer, and then make the dumplings and add them to the simmering stew. It’s more economical to begin with a whole chicken and butcher it into 8 pieces (save the back for chicken stock— see page 200), though if you prefer you can also buy chicken pieces.
Excerpted from Cook With Confidence by Dennis Prescott. Copyright © 2024 Dennis Prescott. Photographs by Dennis Prescott. Published by Penguin an imprint of Penguin Canada®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
