This Fricassée of Chicken with young Pumpkin- Frikase Poul ek Zironmon Tann– is a comforting and flavourful dish made with shallow fried chicken cooked with very young pumpkin and flavoured with garlic and ginger.
What is Fricassée?
Fricassée is a French culinary term that pertains to a cooking method that is a cross between a sauté and a stew. It is theorised that the word is derived from a compound of the French ‘frire’ meaning to fry and ‘casser’ meaning to break into pieces.
THE CLASSICAL FRENCH FRICASSÉE
A good traditional French fricassée starts with meat being cut in small pieces, then sautéed, or some would say browned, and then simmered in a white sauce and flavoured with a handful of aromatics and spices. The ultimate product is a hearty dish with a rich and silky sauce.
THE SEYCHELLOIS FRICASSÉE-FRIKASE SESELWA
Unlike the French method of cookery, described above, the Seychellois frikase is a term used when meat or fish is first fried and then cooked with pumpkin or other vegetables and gourds such as kalbas or wax gourd, locally known as pousinika. The dish is always flavoured with ginger and garlic and takes on the colour of the vegetables used. For example, if it is cooked with pumpkin it will take on a yellowish-orange colour and if it is cooked with pousinika a pale colour.
Types of pumpkin
Pumpkins are available in a spread of shapes, sizes, colours, and textures and serve a large number of various functions. Some are very sweet with moist flesh while some others are fairly bland and have dry texture. In Australia , we have access to five main types and these include the the following:
Queensland Blue Pumpkin: as the name suggests this Australian grown variety of pumpkin has a bluish-green skin with classic orange flesh. These are some of the largest-growing pumpkins and because of their size, they are ideal for boiled or baked food, with a smoky, savoury taste that fits with plenty of curries and scones
Butternut Pumpkin: sometimes referred to as Butternut Squash, this variety tends to have an oblong bell like shape, with yellowish skin and an orange flesh. It tends to have a slightly sweeter and nuttier flavour compared to other pumpkins. It has a dry, dense, yet sweet interior that makes it perfect for roasting and seasoning. It’s also a pumpkin you don’t have to peel, and the cylindrical shape makes it easy to cut!
Jap Pumpkin: also known as Kent Pumpkin, has green skin mottled with yellow and brown patches, with orange flesh. This nutty variety has an average weight of 4 kg, with a longer maturation process.
Jarrahdale pumpkin: A little smaller than the Queensland blue, these pumpkins are the ones that end up on our tables the most. It cuts easily and has moist flesh, making it perfect for boiling and garnishing with other dishes.
Gold nugget pumpkin: Thin-walled , starchy and sweet and easily cut, it is a pumpkin you can use for a variety of purposes after hollowing it out. For flavouring, it’s best combined with baked products like pies, casseroles, and other pasta dishes.
The preferred pumpkin for this dish
My preferred pumpkin for the Fricasse of chicken is the young Jap Pumpkin. This is because it has a nutty-sweet flavour and is more savoury orientated and a great absorber of other flavours. I have been tempted to use butternut pumpkin before and have found it to be too dry and does not readily absorb the flavours of the other spices in the dish.
How do I pick the best quality pumpkin?
First, inspect the pumpkin to see if it has any cuts, bruises, or peculiar discolorations on its skin. If the pumpkin does not look 100% on the outside, chances are it will not be of the best quality once you take it home and cut it open. Small visual imperfections are fine as pumpkin skin is tough and will protect the flesh.
Simply place that pumpkin to one side and keep looking. If you find a pumpkin that visually seems to meet the grade, hold it up to your ear and give it a firm knock. A healthy pumpkin will produce a solid woody sound, not unlike when you knock on a wooden door or table.
How to store and eat pumpkins
Fresh pumpkins can last for weeks provided you keep them whole, at room temperature and away from moisture. Once cut, pumpkins can last for two to three days if stored in the fridge.
It is also a good idea to keep pumpkin away from fruits like apples and pears as they release ethylene gas which can shorten the shelf life of your pumpkin.
Tips for cutting pumpkin
Use a large knife to cut pumpkin as the flesh can make it hard to cut through. Start by cutting the pumpkin in half and then remove the pumpkin seeds with a large spoon and set aside if you wish to use them. Then place the pumpkin on its flat side to ensure that it is stable and cut into desired size pieces.
Why young or immature pumpkin?
Ripe pumpkin tends to have more sugar than young pumpkin and consequently will have a more developed sweetness. Sweet pumpkin will overpower the dish and will neutralise the effect of the garlic, ginger and onions. Young pumpkin , on the other hand, has less developed sweetness and has the capacity to absorb the flavour of the herbs and spices.
How to prepare the Fricassée of Chicken with young Pumpkin- Frikase Poul ek Zironmon Tann-?
Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds and peel off the skin and cut into small cubes. If the pumpkin is very immature you may decide to leave the skin on.
Choose a medium size chicken. Give it a good wash and cut into bite size pieces and pat dry. Use the whole chicken including the bone, because the bone imparts another layer of flavour to the frikase. Season with salt and pepper and keep.
Heat oil in a heavy pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces, until light brown. Remove from the hot oil, place on absorbent paper and keep. In a separate pot, add and heat the oil and then sweat the onion. Add the pumpkin, stir and add water and cook until soft.
Prepare a small bouquet garni with a few sprigs of thyme and parsley
Roughly mash the pumpkin in the pot. Then add the fried chicken pieces, ginger, garlic and bouquet garni and cook on a gentle heat for about 15 minutes. The dish should have a thick consistency.
Remove the bouquet garni and season and serve.
The Fricassée of Chicken with young Pumpkin- Frikase Poul ek Zironmon Tann is best enjoyed immediately after cooking with plain boiled rice. You can also make it ahead in the day and put it in the fridge until dinner.
This Fricassée of Chicken with young Pumpkin- Frikase Poul ek Zironmon Tann–is a comforting and flavourful dish made with shallow fried chicken cooked with very young pumpkin and flavoured with garlic and ginger.
- 1 medium chicken
- ½ kg young ( immature) pumpkin (note1)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh crushed ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 250 ml water
- Oil for shallow fry
- 1 tbsp oil for fricasse
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small bouquet garni of thyme and parsley
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Wash chicken and cut into bitesize pieces and pat dry and season with salt and pepper
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Heat oil in a heavy pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces, until light brown.
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Remove from oil and drain.
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Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds, peel off the skin and cut into small cubes
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In a pot, add the oil and sweat the onion. Add the pumpkin, stir and add water and cook until soft.
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Roughly mash the pumpkin in the pot
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Add the chicken, ginger and garlic, and bouquet garni and give it a good stir.
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Cook on a gentle heat for about 15 minutes. The dish should have a thick consistency.
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Remove bouquet garni and season.
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Serve frikase with plain boiled rice and a cucumber salad or any salad of your choice
- The preferred pumpkin for this dish is young Jap Pumpkin. This is because it has a nutty-sweet flavour and is not sweet. It is also more savoury orientated and a great absorber of other flavours.
- Refer to write up in the post regarding other types of pumpkin you can use.
- The Seychellois frikase is always cooked with young or immature pumpkin. Ripe pumpkin tends to have more sugar than young pumpkin and consequently will have a more developed sweetness that will overpower the dish and will neutralise the effect of the garlic, ginger and onions. Young pumpkin , on the other hand, has less developed sweetness and has the capacity to absorb the flavour of the herbs and spices.
Any suggestions or comments about this post
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
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