Canadian National Dishes

Acadian Chicken Fricot with Pâtes Dumplings

Chicken fricot is an Acadian chicken soup-stew from New Brunswick, seasoned with summer savoury and served with tender vegetables. This home version includes potatoes, onion, carrots and celery, with spoon-drop pâtes dumplings simmered under a tight lid. Some fricots are served without dumplings, and vegetables vary by household. The broth stays light and savoury, while the dumplings make each bowl especially filling.

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Wide tabletop scene with a large bowl of chicken fricot and pâtes dumplings, with a ladle and cooking pot behind it and a coastal window view.
A generous bowl of chicken fricot sits ready to serve in a Maritime farmhouse kitchen.
Prep 35 minutes
Cook 1 hour 30 minutes
Total 2 hours 15 minutes
Calories About 430 kcal per portion
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Acadian Chicken Fricot with Pâtes Dumplings

Fricot is a well-known Acadian soup-stew, especially associated with New Brunswick. Chicken, potatoes, onion and summer savoury appear in documented recipes; some versions add carrot and celery, and many include dumplings called pâtes. Households differ in the vegetables, meat and dumpling style they use, so this recipe is one practical home version rather than a single canonical formula.

The chicken is first browned in butter, then simmered with onion and summer savoury to build the broth. The meat is removed and deboned before the vegetables finish cooking. Soft spoonfuls of dumpling dough steam on top under a tight lid. Because this pâtes variation includes dumplings, the broth is not thickened with a flour roux.

Practical

Practical

  • Remove the chicken skin before browning so the broth does not become overly greasy; brown the pieces in batches for better colour.
  • Keep the broth at a gentle simmer while the vegetables cook. A rolling boil can break up the potatoes and cloud the broth.
  • Mix the dumpling dough only until it comes together. Drop level spoonfuls over the stew, cover tightly and do not lift the lid during the first 8 minutes.
  • Summer savoury is the defining herb in this version. Taste the broth before serving and adjust salt carefully, since the dumplings also contain salt.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Fricot

  • 1.6 kg skinless bone-in chicken pieces, such as thighs and drumsticks, kept chilled
  • 2.5 L cold water
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 250 g yellow onion, diced
  • 15 mL dried summer savoury, divided
  • 900 g yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 250 g carrots, peeled and sliced into 5 mm rounds
  • 150 g celery, diced
  • 8 g fine salt
  • 2 g ground black pepper

Pâtes dumplings

  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 15 g baking powder
  • 3 g fine salt
  • 125 mL cold water
Directions

Directions

Method

  1. Brown the chickenPat the chicken dry. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken in batches on several sides, about 8–10 minutes total, then transfer it to a plate. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

  2. Build the brothReturn the chicken and any juices to the pot. Add the cold water, 10 mL of the summer savoury, the fricot salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partly and cook for 45–60 minutes, until the chicken is tender and reaches 74°C in the thickest pieces. Skim excess foam if needed.

  3. Debone and cook the vegetablesTransfer the chicken to a clean tray and let it cool just until safe to handle, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bones; pull the meat into bite-sized pieces and keep covered. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery to the broth. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are nearly tender.

  4. Mix the dumplingsWhile the vegetables cook, combine the flour, baking powder, dumpling salt and remaining 5 mL summer savoury in a bowl. Stir in the cold water just until a thick, soft dough forms; do not overmix.

  5. Cook the pâtesReturn the chicken to the pot and taste the broth, adjusting seasoning if needed. Drop level tablespoonfuls of dough over the simmering stew, spaced across the surface. Cover tightly and simmer without lifting the lid for 8–10 minutes, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Check that the centre of a dumpling reaches 74°C.

  6. ServeLadle broth, vegetables, chicken and dumplings into 8 bowls. Serve hot.

Practical

Practical

Serving

Serve each bowl with broth, chicken, vegetables and one or more dumplings. The stew is filling on its own; bread or a side salad is optional and not included in the yield or nutrition estimate.

Make-ahead

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers at 4°C or colder and use within 3 days. Reheat the stew until it reaches 74°C. Dumplings soften as they sit in broth, so for the best texture you can store them separately from the soup if you expect leftovers.

Storage and reheating

You can brown, simmer and debone the chicken up to 2 days ahead. Chill the meat and broth separately, then bring the broth back to a simmer before adding the vegetables. Mix and cook the dumplings just before serving.

Control points

Control points

  • The broth reduces before the chicken is tenderAdd boiling water in small amounts to keep the chicken partly submerged.
  • The dumpling dough sticks to the spoonDip the spoon in water between portions; avoid adding extra flour unless the dough cannot hold a soft mound.
  • The dumplings are still doughy after 10 minutesKeep the pot covered and simmer a few minutes longer, then check the centre temperature.
  • The broth tastes mildLet the vegetables finish cooking, then adjust salt and pepper gradually. Summer savoury should be noticeable but not overpowering.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving size1 bowl, about 1/8 of the pot
  • Calories430 kcal
  • Carbohydrate46 g
  • Protein30 g
  • Fat13 g
  • Fibre4 g
  • Sodium950 mg

Rounded ingredient-based estimate using generic values for edible chicken from bone-in pieces, potatoes, vegetables, butter, dumpling flour, baking powder and salt. Chicken yield, sodium in baking powder and salt retained in the broth vary; this is not a laboratory analysis or product-label value.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

The dumplings contain wheat. Check baking powder labels and avoid cross-contact with other allergens. Keep raw chicken refrigerated at 4°C or colder and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling raw poultry. Cook the thickest chicken pieces to 74°C before removing bones. Simmer the dumplings covered until cooked through and verify that a dumpling centre reaches 74°C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, store at 4°C or colder, use within 3 days and reheat to 74°C.

FAQ

FAQ

What does pâtes mean here?

Pâtes are simple drop dumplings cooked directly on top of the simmering fricot. They are one traditional way to make the stew more substantial; other family versions serve fricot without them.

Can I leave out the carrots or celery?

Yes. Some New Brunswick recipes treat these vegetables as optional. If you omit either one, keep the potatoes and onion, which are central to this version.

Acadian Chicken Fricot with Pâtes Dumplings

Acadian Chicken Fricot with Pâtes Dumplings

  • Brown chicken, then simmer it with onion and summer savoury to make a light, flavourful broth.
  • Add potatoes and vegetables, finish with covered drop dumplings, and serve the stew hot.