What does fricot mean?
Fricot is a meat stew cooked slowly in wine, traditionally made from venison or rabbit. In North American English, it usually suggests a hearty, old-fashioned dish rather than an everyday generic stew, and recipes sometimes pair it with pasta or other simple accompaniments. The term entered English from French culinary vocabulary and belongs to the same word family as fricassee and fricandeau. Although a fricot may contain several kinds of meat, its strongest association is with game, especially venison; rabbit fricot is also a well-established preparation. “Fricot” can consequently be used either precisely, for a wine-braised meat stew, or more loosely, as a somewhat old-fashioned label for a rich stew. It is useful for readers looking for a word that combines food, wine, and traditional game cookery, and its unusual spelling makes it memorable in menus and recipes.
nounA stew of meat, especially venison or rabbit, cooked in wine.
- A meat stew, especially one made from venison or rabbit and cooked in wine.
"For dinner, she served a rich fricot of venison with pasta."
"For dinner, she served a rich fricot of venison with pasta."
"The café offered rabbit fricot, its sauce scented with red wine and herbs."
The plural is regular and adds -s.
"The restaurant serves several traditional fricots, including venison and rabbit."
Fricot sounds dainty, but it is a robust, slow-cooked meat stew—traditionally made with venison or rabbit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does fricot come from?
English fricot was borrowed from French, probably through North American French culinary usage. It belongs to a French culinary family that includes fricassé and fricandau, both associated with fricot and fricasser. In English, the word became established for a stew of meat, particularly venison or rabbit, prepared with wine.
How fricot is actually used
Somewhat old-fashioned and specialized; it is encountered mainly in North American recipes, cookbooks, and menus rather than in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with fricot
A fricot is meat stewed in wine, whereas a fricassee is typically meat that has been fried and then simmered in a seasoned sauce.