fricassee

[frik-uh-see]

noun

1. meat, especially chicken or veal, browned lightly, stewed, and served in a sauce made with its own stock.

verb (used with object)

fricasseed, fricasseeing 

1. to prepare as a fricassee.

fricassee

/ ˈfrɪkəsɪ, ˈfrɪkəˌseɪ, ˌfrɪkəˈsiː /

noun

1. stewed meat, esp chicken or veal, and vegetables, served in a thick white sauce

verb

1. (tr) to prepare (meat) as a fricassee

Word History and Origins

Origin of fricassee¹

1560–70; < Middle French, noun use of feminine past participle of fricasser to cook chopped food in its own juice, probably equivalent to fri ( re ) to fry ¹ + casser to break, crack (< Latin quassāre to shake, damage, batter); compare, however, dial. fricâssié, perhaps with a reflex of Vulgar Latin *coāctiāre, verbal derivative of Latin coāctus compressed, condensed, past participle of cōgere; cogent

Word History and Origins

Origin of fricassee¹

C16: from Old French, from fricasser to fricassee; probably related to frire to _fry ¹

Example Sentences

I was all set to tell you about a fricassee of shrimp, mussels and sea bass splayed over saffron rice and ringed with zesty sauce américaine.

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Child’s landmark 1961 cookbook contained 524 recipes, for aspics and sweetbreads, poached eggs and mushrooms, chicken fricassee and calf’s brains in wine.

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The look she gave me would have fricasseed a rhino.

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The result was a fricassee, very well done.

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He met the ask — bottle of on-sale wine included! — and surprised me even more when he cleaned my countertops with a leftover lemon half, the juice of which had been used for chicken fricassee.

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Related Words

• bubble 
• burn 
• churn 
• ferment 
• rage 
• seethe 
• stew 
• stir 
• warm