Yard Bird Fricassee

Yield 6-8
RECIPE Ingredients
  • 8 skin-on Chicken Thighs (or 1 Organic Free-Range Chicken, cut into 8 parts) quickly rinsed and patted dry
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground balck pepper
  • Duck fat, or olive oil for frying
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 sweet white onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet or jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1 tbs tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup dried currents
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced pitted green olives
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced pitted black olives
  • 1/3 cup brine packed capers, rinsed 
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
Recipe notes
Here's a simple chicken fricassee recipe that's packed with flavor from chilies, olives, lemon zest, and capers. Use chicken thighs, or a whole chicken broken down into 8 parts
RECIPE Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, set aside.
  2. Heat the duck fat, or frying fat of your choice, in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on all sides then place in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Put the same pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and pepper to the pan and cook until the onions begin to caramelize, 7 to 8 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it turns a rust-like color. Stir in the currents, both types of olives, capers and lemon zest.
  5. Stir in the red bell pepper, tomato and chicken stock. Make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan, then return the chicken pieces to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the tomato breaks down, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over rice.