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1
Season the 8 chicken pieces with salt and white pepper on all sides. In a wide, heavy casserole, melt 50 g of butter over medium heat. Lay the pieces skin-side down and cook gently for 5–7 minutes. The skin should turn pale gold — blonde, not brown. Turn and colour the other side lightly. The butter must not smoke or darken. Remove the chicken to a plate.
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2
Add the finely diced shallots to the butter remaining in the casserole and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Sprinkle over the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes to form a blonde roux — it should take no colour. The mixture will smell faintly nutty and appear pale straw.
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3
Pour in the dry white wine, stirring to dissolve the roux, then add the chicken stock and the bouquet garni. Return the chicken pieces to the casserole. Bring to the gentlest simmer — surface barely trembling — cover, and cook: breast pieces for 25–30 minutes, removing them early; leg pieces for 40–45 minutes in total. This differential timing is where the dish lives or dies: breasts left in the pan until the legs are done will be dry and fibrous; remove them the moment they yield to gentle pressure and feel just firm.
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4
Transfer all the cooked chicken to a warm covered dish. Strain the cooking liquid into a clean saucepan and reduce by one-third over moderate heat. Add the double cream and continue to reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon with a pale ivory sheen.
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5
Meanwhile, prepare the garnish: cook the mushrooms à blanc and glaze the pearl onions à blanc, keeping both pale and uncoloured.
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6
Remove the sauce from the heat. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and the 20 g of cold butter, swirling to emulsify. Taste and correct the salt — white sauces require precise seasoning. Return the chicken and the white garnish to the sauce. The fricassée should be pale, elegant, and creamy, coating the pieces in an ivory sauce that lifts without dominating.