Chicken Fricassee With Dried Figs, Olives And Honey

Course :	Italian
From:	HungryMonster.com
Serves:	4

Ingredients:

2	medium	chickens - -- (2 1/2 to 3 lbs ea)
1	teaspoon	salt -- to taste
1	teaspoon	freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
1	cup	flour
6	tablespoons	virgin olive oil
8	small	shallots -- cut into quarters
1	cup	dried figs -- cut into julienne
1	cup	green olives
1/2	cup	orange flower water
3	cups	chicken stock
2	pieces	bay leaves
1	teaspoon	cumin seeds
4	tablespoons	honey
4	tablespoons	flour
5	tablespoons	butter -- room temperature

Preparation:

Cut each chicken into 8 pieces: 2 drum sticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2/3 of a breast plus 1/3 of a breast. Set aside livers. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat oil in 19-inch sauté pan until just smoking and add chicken pieces. Brown all over and remove. Add shallots, figs and olives and cook, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Add orange flower water and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves and cumin and return chicken pieces and livers to pan. Lower heat to high-simmer and cook for 30 minutes uncovered. Taste broth for seasoning and add honey. Mash livers finely with fork and return to sauce. Mix flour and butter together to form a paste. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to flour mixture and whisk to allow a smooth sauce to develop. Cook 10 more minutes and serve. Source: MEDITERRANEAN MARIO with Mario Batali From the TV FOOD NETWORK - (Show # ME-1A19)