Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 hour 30 min
Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
One whole chicken cut up, or 6 to 8 pieces of dark meat chicken, legs, thighs or a combination
1 teaspoon of seasoned salt (like Lawry’s)
1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
About a cup or so canola oil
1-1/2 cups of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup of reserved seasoned flour
4 to 6 cups of water
2 tablespoons of chicken base or granulated bouillon
Instructions
If baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. May also finish on the stovetop. Heat the canola oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken lightly with seasoned salt. Whisk the Cajun seasoning into the flour and dredge the chicken into the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Reserve the seasoned flour. Fry the chicken pieces until lightly browned all over, set aside on a rack to drain.
Add the onion and bell pepper to the hot oil and drippings and saute until tender, but not over-browned. Stir in 3/4 cup of the reserved flour, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Begin adding the water, one cup at a time, blending each cup in before adding the next. Stop when gravy reaches the desired consistency. Stir in the chicken base and bring to a boil. Cover and continue simmering for about 45 minutes, gently stirring and turning pieces occasionally, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice.
For the Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and transfer pot to the oven, baking, uncovered, gently stirring up from the bottom to prevent burning, and turning pieces occasionally, until chicken is cooked through about one hour.
Cook’s Notes: For a fricassee, I prefer to flour the chicken before frying it, but you may also fry the chicken without coating first, such as with a stewed chicken. Simply season as desired and fry directly in hot fat; proceed with remaining recipe. A nice addition is to add in 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms when you return the chicken to the pot if desired. At the end, stir in 1/2 cup sour cream and garnish with a sprinkling of parsley and sliced green onion, for a nice finish.
Creole Style: Stir in 1 (15 ounce) tomato sauce before returning chicken to the pot.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
