Traditionally prepared - traditionally delicious

Ingredients

• 1 fresh chicken
• "Bouquet garni": celery, leek, carrot, onion
• 4-5 tablespoon of wheat flour
• 400g fresh, white mushrooms
• 3 (red, green and yellow) middle-sized hulls of paprika
• 1 hull of chilli
• 1/4 l milk
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 l dry white wine
• 1/4 l Sherry
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup créme fraiche
• approx.100g butter
• Seasoning: salt, pepper, cayenne

Preparation

The chicken:

1. Put the "bouquet garni" (celery, leek, carrot, onion) and the hull of chilli into water.
2. Add some salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
3. In the meantime brush and wash the chicken.
4. Add it into the boiling water.
5. After 2-3 hours (depending on the size of the chicken) check progress of chicken with a fork. Pierce one of the thighs with the fork and lift it a little.
6. The chicken will slip from the fork easily by its own weight when it is done.
7. Remove the chicken and allow it to cool off for a little while. Remove everything inedible including the skin and bones.
8. Chop the meat into small pieces and cover it with a little chicken bouillon or stock.

The sauce:

1. In a saucepan, melt butter, add flour and stir it all thoroughly.
2. Allow to cool off.
3. Add approx.1 litre cooled chicken broth onto it.
4. Whisk it all till it looks smooth and shiny.
5. Over medium heat, add the milk, cream and créme fraiche in succession to the broth mixture.

1. Peel the the hulls of paprika (you might use a zester).
2. Clean the hulls and the mushrooms and chop them into pieces.
3. Add them both to the sauce.
4. Make sure that the flour in the sauce is completely dissolved.
5. Let it all simmer for 4-5 minutes.
6. Check the taste and depending on the result, you may add cayenne, lemon juice, white wine or Sherry.
7. Heat it all up with the chicken one more time before you serve the fricassee.

Serving suggestion

1. This goes perfectly with curry rice, cooked potatoes or a fresh salad
2. If you serve salad, use a thick orange-yoghurt-dressing.
3. Alternatively, as seen in the picture, it can also be served in a puff pastery