Saffron Milk Cap Fricassee is a modern British recipe (based on a French/Medieval original) for a dish of fried/stewed saffron milk cap mushrooms in a white wine and chicken stock base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Saffron Milk Cap Fricassee.
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Fricassee is one of those old-school French techniques that bridges the gap between sautéing and stewing. It’s not quite one, not quite the other. The word itself likely stems from the combination of two French words: frire (to fry) and casser (to break), describing a process where meat is first browned lightly, then braised gently in a flavourful liquid until tender. Classic French versions often call for veal, chicken, or rabbit and finish the sauce with cream, egg yolks, or both. This creates a pale, rich, and comforting dish. Unlike a heavy stew, a fricassee is lighter, more delicate, and more nuanced. It’s what you make when you want to treat rustic ingredients with elegance.
In origin it's a medieval recipe that entered the English cooking repertoire (under various spellings) by the 15th century. It's well suited for the bright orange colour of saffron milk caps.
Ingredients:
500g saffron milk cap mushrooms cut into large pieces
2 tbsp butter divided
1 tbsp oil or lard
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
120ml white wine
250ml chicken, mushroom or game stock
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
fresh herbs such as chives or thyme
Method:
Set a cast iron pan over high heat. Add the oil and 1 tbsp butter and use to fry the mushrooms for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the shallots and garlic. Continue cooking for 3–5 minutes more, or until the mushrooms release their excess liquid and this has mostly evaporated away.
At this point add the wine and use to deglaze the pan by scraping the base with wooden spoon. Once the liquid has almost completely evaporated away add the stock and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium then continue simmering until a thick sauce has formed. Stir in the remaining butter and 3/4 of your herbs.
Take the pan off the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Turn into a warmed serving bowl, top with the remaining herbs. Serve accompanied by crusty bread, rice or noodles. It also makes an excellent base on which to put poultry breasts or pork medallions. I often serve this as a simple supper topped with a poached egg and served with thick slabs of toast.
