Last week my mother passed away, her furneral was last Thursday. I was a difficult week.
Yesterday afternoon I cooked a Chicken Fricassee in memory of my mother. My mom was a fantastic cook and cooked a great fricassee. I have NEVER been able to duplicate or even come close to the way she made her fricassee. My wife did a pretty decent job but couldn't get to gravy to stick to the rice the way mom's did.
There have been a few things since my mother's passing that we laugh and say "there's maw maw playing tricks" and I kind of believe her spirit was here in my kitchen cooking with me yesterday. The fricassee yesterday came out as close to my mother's version as it has ever come out in all my years of cooking. I asked my wife(Sally)how she liked it and she said "it's just like your mother's" and the kids thought it was delicious too. It really was but I was shocked that I was finally able to get it so close to mom's after so many years.
Took out my cast iron pot I use for making roux in more than anything else.
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Got oil and flour going(I even have a roux dedicated wooden spoon).
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Coming along nicely.
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When it's just about where I want it I add the onions, stir them in well, put the lid on the pot and remove it from the heat. About five minutes later it's perfect.
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I put the roux and onions in a bigger pot and add water, bring up to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and add the chicken.
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Let it simmer(I guess about an hour)and it's done. Seasining with salt and pepper did happen too.
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