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Gracious Cooking

Creamy Cajun Chicken Fricassee

This creamy chicken braise is sure to be a household favorite.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun, French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • cooked white rice for serving
  • 2 Tablespoons neutral cooking oil (canola, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.) for the pan
  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts you can either leave them whole or cut them in half, depending on how you're serving the dish.
  • 2-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning plus more to taste
  • ½ pound smoked sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces on the bias (diagonal) I used a smoked beef sausage, because pork and my digestive system aren't very good friends, but andouille is a more traditional choice. This ingredient is optional.
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter for cooking the veggies
  • 1 yellow onion, medium dice diced into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, medium dice
  • 1 cup carrot, medium dice
  • 1 finely diced jalapeno pepper remove the seeds if you don't want the dish to be spicy.
  • 3 ears of corn, with the kernels cut off or a cup of frozen corn kernels.
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely diced
  • ½ lime for squeezing over the veggies
  • 1 and ½ cups heavy cream
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Method
 

  1. Make sure you have rice cooking - nothing worse than forgetting the rice and you have nothing to serve your chicken with!
  2. Place the chicken in a gallon size resealable plastic bag, and sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of you Cajun seasoning over the top.
  3. Squeeze most of the air out of the bag, then squish the chicken around to distribute the seasoning evenly. Let sit in the fridge overnight, or on the counter while you prepare the veggies.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Dice the onion, red bell pepper, carrot, jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Cut the kernels of corn from the cob. Set the veggies aside in their own little bowls or piles on your cutting board.
  6. Preheat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  7. Add the oil and sear the chicken on both sides until a nice crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.
  8. Sear the sausage on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  9. Add 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan, scraping up any fond (tasty brown bits) from the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño and carrots to the pan. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
  10. Add the corn and garlic to the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the corn is bright yellow.
  11. Squeeze half of a lime over the vegetables.
  12. Season with salt, Cajun seasoning and pepper to taste. This means that you should add a little of each seasoning, taste the veggies, then add more of whichever seasonings will make the vegetables taste bright and alive, not dull and flat.
  13. Pour in the cream and stir.
  14. If using, insert the probe of your oven safe thermometer into the thickest part of the thickest chicken breast. Nestle the chicken back into the pan among the vegetables, making sure the temperature probe is above the liquid. You don't want to submerge it. The cream should come about halfway up the chicken breasts.
  15. Bring the cream to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
  16. Transfer the pan to the oven.
  17. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken temperature reaches 155 to 157 degrees F. See notes for more information on these temperatures. If you have concerns, feel free to cook until the USDA recommended 165 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven.
  18. Evenly sprinkle the white wine vinegar over the entire dish.
  19. Taste the sauce and re-season if needed.
  20. Add the seared sausage to the top of the dish.
  21. Garnish with parsley.
  22. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Notes

ThermoWorks has this excellent article all about safe poultry temperatures and pasturization. Check it out for more information.