Secret Recipe Chicken Fricassee

Steps:

• Brown ChickenSeason 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 2 tablespoons 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.
• Saute MirepoixReduce 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.
• Cook Mushrooms and FlourAdd 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.
• Pour in Wine and BrothAdd wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.
• Simmer ChickenPlace chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. Tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.
• Make and Add LiaisonTo 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.
• Finish with Tarragon, Lemon, and ButterReturn chicken to pot. Add tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine, and serve.

Steps:

• In a resealable plastic bag, combine 2-1/4 teaspoons flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a small skillet, brown chicken in butter. Remove chicken and set aside. In same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and celery until crisp-tender. Return chicken to the pan. Add water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, turning occasionally., Place remaining flour mixture in a bowl; stir in milk until smooth. Stir into pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

Steps:

• Mix flour and margarine together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the flour and margarine form a paste.
• Whisk cream into flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time until smoothly combined; whisk in chicken broth and parsley. Bring sauce to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened.
• Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together in a bowl.
• Whisk egg yolk mixture slowly into cream mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce barely comes to a simmer and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil.
• If thicker sauce is desired, whisk cornstarch and 1/4 cup of sauce in a small bowl; stir cornstarch mixture back into sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Stir chicken breast pieces into sauce until chicken is heated through.