Claire’s acadian chicken fricot
It’s -22C with windchill here today (insert crying face here). At a time when we’d normally be poolside, sipping piña coladas under a palm tree, I needed a little extra warm hug and my Mom’s Chicken Fricot does the trick.
Chicken Fricot is an Acadian staple. The recipes may vary from family to family, but it’s basically chicken, potatoes, onions, summer savoury, and dumplings. We add carrots. Some add celery. You can use chicken pieces, diced chicken breast, large chunks of veggies or small dice. No rules - the method is the same! Just don’t omit the summer savoury. Mom’s dumplings are different than the traditional dumplings because she didn’t use baking powder and rolled them out. So, the dumplings are flat with a chewy texture. If you prefer a light and fluffy dumpling, add 1/2tsp baking powder and drop by the spoonful when it’s time to add the dumplings.
Claire’s Chicken Fricot
6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion
3-4 chicken breasts, diced
1/3 c butter
1 Tbsp summer savoury
12 c water
1 large carrot, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings:
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4c -1/2c water
In a large fry pan, fry chicken in butter over medium high heat until brown. Do this in batches because you want those brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Remove and place in the soup pot. Add a bit more butter to the pan if necessary and fry the onions until translucent. Add 1 cup of the water to the pan to lift the brown bits and transfer everything to the soup pot. Add potatoes, summer savoury, and remaining water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
While that’s simmering, make your dumplings:
Mix flour and salt in small bowl. Add 1/4c water and then add more just until it forms a sticky dough. Roll out thinly on a generously floured countertop and cut into squares with a pizza wheel. Don’t brush off excess flour - this will help thicken the Fricot!
Remove pot from heat once potatoes are tender. Add grated carrot and dumplings. Stir. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste (we season as we go, don’t be surprised if you feel like you need a lot of salt if you add it all at the end!). Enjoy with a crusty roll.