From Cooking Wiki
Fricasseeing basically means "to fry" and is a form of stewing.
The term is usually applied to chicken, veal, or some small game, which is cut into pieces, and fried either before or after stewing, and served with a rich white or brown sauce, and without vegetables. Any meat that is quite juicy and not very tough may be first browned on the outside to keep in the juices, and improve the flavor. Coarse, tough pieces should not be browned, but dipped in vinegar to soften the fibre; and pieces containing much gristle should be put into cold water.
