Chicken Fricassee

cup vegetable oil

cup all-purpose flour

5 cups water

cup chopped onion

cup chopped bell pepper

cup chopped celery

cup minced garlic

1 3 to 4 pound chicken, cut up

Cajun or Creole seasoning to taste

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops

Salt to taste

Hot cooked rice

Cook s note: A Cajun fricassee is a stew usually made with chicken or pork and thickened with a roux. Ruby Sharlow learned to make this as a young girl watching her mother cook over a wood stove. Today it s on her plate lunch menu every Monday at Ruby s Restaurant in Lafayette, La.

To make roux: heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until roux turns dark brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully stir in water (watch out for steam), onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle chicken pieces with Cajun seasoning and add to roux mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done, adding more water if needed. Toward end of cooking, add Cajun seasoning to taste. Just before serving, stir in parsley and green onion and salt as desired. Serve over rice.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Source: Sandra Day, Lafayette, La.