The Acadian stew containing meat, potatoes, onions, and dumplings is fricot.
Fricot is a traditional Acadian stew built from practical, readily available ingredients. Chicken is common, but recipes may use rabbit, beef, pork, clams, or whatever meat was on hand. Potatoes and onions form the basic vegetable foundation, while dumplings are added near the end and cook in the seasoned broth.
The dish reflects the food history of Acadian communities in Atlantic Canada, where long winters, limited farmland, and the need to stretch available meat encouraged filling one-pot meals. Fricot remains closely tied to Acadian identity, and the French phrase “Au fricot!” has been used as an invitation to eat.
Fricot is sometimes mistaken for Cajun dishes such as étouffée or gumbo because Acadian cooking influenced Louisiana Cajun cuisine. They are not the same preparation: étouffée is generally a thickened smothered dish, while gumbo is a soup or stew often built with roux and the “holy trinity.” Fricot’s defining clues are its Acadian setting and dumplings.