Entree: French Guiana – National Cuisine – Fricassée de Gibier (Braised wild game pieces in a lightly creamy, herb-scented coconut and white-wine sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr 50 min

Total 2 hrs 10 min

Ingredients

- 2 lb (900 g) boneless wild game (venison, agouti, or wild boar), cut into 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) pieces
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced (approx. 8 oz / 225 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions (cive), sliced (approx. 3 oz / 85 g)
- 1 small Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, pierced (optional)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken or game stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
- 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pat the game pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches until nicely seared, about 3–4 minutes per side; remove and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining butter. Sauté the onion, green onions, and garlic until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes; add the pierced hot pepper, thyme, and bay leaves and cook 1 minute more.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the aromatics and stir to coat, cooking 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Slowly pour in the white wine while scraping up fond from the bottom of the pot.
4. Return the browned game to the pot, add the stock and coconut milk, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the cut.
5. Remove the lid, add lime juice and parsley, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce to a glossy fricassée consistency.
6. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems, discard the hot pepper if used, and serve the fricassée hot with steamed rice or boiled cassava and fried plantains.