Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Crayfish

Instructions

MAKE THE CHICKEN

Dress the chicken. Cut off the legs and divide them into drum-sticks and thighs. Debone the thighs, then season the drumsticks and thighs with salt and pepper. Put 1 tablespoon olive oil into a sauté pan and brown the drumsticks and thighs on all sides.

Add half the butter, 1 garlic clove, and 1 sprig of thyme. Baste regularly and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack. Preheat the oven to 180°C – 350°F (gas mark 4). Brown the chicken rib cage with breasts in a Dutch oven (cast-iron casserole) with the remaining olive oil, then add the remaining butter, garlic clove, and thyme. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, basting often.

MAKE THE CRAYFISH:
Rinse the crayfish in cold water. Devein them. Separate the heads and claws from the tails and place in two different strainers (sieves) to drain. Cut the unpeeled shallot into 3mm – 1/8 inch-thick disks. Crush the garlic cloves, and crush the parsley sprig with your hands. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and sear the crayfish tails until they turn very red. Lower the heat and add the shallot, garlic, parsley, butter, fennel stick, bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Deglaze with the cognac and cover the pan with a damp cloth. Rest for a few minutes at room temperature. Peel the still-warm tails and set aside.

MAKE THE SAUCE:
Chop up the crayfish heads. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the chicken breasts over high heat. When they are well browned, add the butter and crayfish heads, and brown everything. Cut up and set aside the tomatoes. Peel and slice the shallots and add to the Dutch oven with the peppercorns, salt, and bouquet garni, then add the tomato paste. Deglaze with the wine and cognac, and reduce completely. Add the tomato pieces, cover with the stock, and reduce by one-third. Add the chicken jus and simmer for 1 hour. Add the basil. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Pour the contents of the pan into a strainer and press* well to extract as much liquid as possible. Filter the liquid through a conical strainer into a saucepan and return to the heat, if necessary, thicken to the desired consistency.

FINISHING:
Reheat the chicken and halve the thighs. Remove the breasts from the rib cage and cut them into four pieces. Sear the crayfish tails in a sauté pan. Stir the soft whipped cream into the sauce. Arrange the chicken pieces on plates with the crayfish, then add sauce and some chervil.

Wine suggestion: a white Jura wine, such as Arbois Savagnin.