Fricasser

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To prepare food by frying and then stewing it slowly to create a tender and flavorful dish
2. A cooking method involving frying pieces of meat until browned and then simmering them in a broth or sauce
3. The process of quickly frying food to develop a crust and subsequently cooking it gently in a liquid for enhanced taste and texture

Etymology: Browning meat in fat and then simmering it in liquid is a method older than its name. The French verb "fricasser" describes exactly that two-stage process. Its exact origin is uncertain. It is generally traced to Old French "fricacer," and a link to "frire," meaning "to fry," seems likely, but the rest of the derivation is debated, so no single explanation can be stated as settled. English took the verb from French, keeping its core sense of frying meat quickly and then cooking it slowly in a sauce or liquid. The verb "fricassee" is the form most English dictionaries use, and it has stayed a cooking term rather than broadening into a general word for stewing or frying.