Hühnerfrikassee is the German take on chicken fricassee. This delicious one-pot meal is full of flavor and one of my family's favorites.
I love how you can prep the ingredients the night before you want to serve the dish and then magically bring a full home cooked meal to the table in less than 15 minutes. This is an ideal weeknight meal for busy families.
If you love easy family dinners, you should try these Pork Tenderloin Strips with Creamy Hunter Sauce - Schweinelenden Geschnetzeltes.
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Cultural Background
Even though the recipe for chicken fricassee originated in France, it became a traditional dish on German menus. The beauty of this dish is that it can be made with leftover chicken, a whole chicken or chicken breast.
Despite the fact that this dish contains some traditional ingredients, you can get creative and make it with any type of white meat or fish and vegetables. The name fricassee derives from French and means something like "a ragbag of ingredients." That is why this recipe is ideal for utilizing leftover meats and vegetables.
How is chicken fricassee called in German?
The German word for chicken fricassee is "Hühnerfrikasse". Das Hühnerfrikassee (n) in singular.
How to pronounce "Hühnerfrikassee" the correct way in German?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Hühnerfrikassee" the right way.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Hühnerfrikassee requires only a few ingredients, all of which can be found in almost any grocery store.
- chicken breast or chicken leftovers
- chicken broth or water
- butter, alternatively margarine
- flour
- heavy whipping cream
- green asparagus, fresh or frozen
- baby carrots, fresh or frozen
- mushrooms, fresh or frozen
- peas, frozen of fresh
- salt
- pepper
- sugar
- lemon juice
- egg yolks
- tbsp. capers
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This dish takes about 30 minutes to prepare and even less time if you have some help cutting the vegetables.
Cook the chicken breast in the broth until tender.
Meanwhile, wash and cut all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
Take out the chicken breasts. Set aside the broth and cut the chicken into pieces.
To make a blonde roux, melt the butter in the same pot, stir in the flour, and cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Make sure that the mixture does not brown.
Add roughly half of the chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and lemon juice to taste. Then add the asparagus and the carrots.
Add the chicken, mushrooms and peas and cook on low-medium heat for another 5 minutes.
Then mix the egg yolks with the cream and blend into the sauce.
Cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat or until the vegetables have the desired tenderness.
Sprinkle with capers and serve immediately.
Hint: You do not need to thaw frozen peas ahead of time; they will defrost quickly during the cooking process.
Video Tutorial
Variations
Give the dish a unique twist by incorporating some unconventional ingredients.
- Curry Powder - Add 1-2 tablespoons yellow curry powder to the sauce to give this dish a complete different flavor profile.
- Brandy - For an aromatic flavor boost, add one or two tablespoons of brandy to the sauce.
Equipment
This delicious one-pot wonder not only cooks quickly but also makes dish-washing a breeze.
- large pot
- cutting board
- knife
Storage
Chicken fricassee freezes well in portions, making it ideal for meal prep. Important: Heat the chicken fricassee in a pot rather than the microwave to prevent the sauce from separating.
Top Tip
Hühnerfrikassee is a quick dish, but if you can make this recipe even in a pinch if you have leftover chicken and use frozen vegetables instead of fresh.
How to Serve
Hühnerfrikassee goes well with plain white or brown rice. Mashed potatoes or Salzkartoffeln (peeled, poiled potatoes) are also excellent options. Soft, delicious buns, such as these no-knead potato buns, also make an excellent side dish.
Recipe
Hühnerfrikassee - German Chicken Fricassee
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 quarts chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 ½ tbsp. flour
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound green asparagus fresh
- 1 cup baby carrots fresh
- 1 pound mushrooms fresh
- 1 cup green peas frozen
- ½ tbsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp. capers
Instructions
- Cook the chicken breast in the broth until tender.
- In the meantime, clean and cut all vegetables into bite-size pieces.
- Remove the chicken breasts, set the broth aside and cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- To make a blonde roux, melt the butter in the same pot, stir in the flour, and cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Make sure that the mixture does not brown.
- Add roughly half of the chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and lemon juice to taste.
- Add the carrots and asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes, covered, over medium heat.
- Add the chicken, mushrooms and peas and cook on low-medium heat for another 5 minutes.
- Mix egg yolks and cream and blend into the cooking liquid. Cook for an additional 5 minutes on medium-low heat, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Sprinkle with capers and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Fricassee is a type of ragout. It's kind of a white meat and vegetable stew with a creamy white sauce.
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