Recipes For 2009

Coqu Au Vin

Julia/CoquAuVin.jpg
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) lardons - either bacon or salt pork

NOTE: You want to remove the saltiness and smokiness from the bacon or pork. So put the chopped pieces in a small pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and boil about 5-8 minutes. Drain

  • 2-1/2 to 3 lb chicken, cut up
  • 2 tbsps butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups sliced onions
  • salt and pepper
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 bay leaf - 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1 tomato, unpeeled and chopped
  • 3 cups young red wine (such as Zinfandel or chianti)
  • 1 or more cups chicken stock

Beurre manie

  • 1/3 cup brandy
  • 12-16 brown braised white onions (see note 1)
  • 3 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered and sauteed (see note 2)

NOTE 1: To brown them - in a pan large enough to hold them in one layer, melt 2 tbsps butter. Add the onions and swirl them until they brown. Add enough chicken sauce to come halfway up the side of the onions. Cover and simmer slowly for 25-30 minutes or until they are tender.

NOTE 2: Sauteed mushrooms - trim and quarter the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Swirl until they absorb most of the butter. Add 1/2 tbsps finely chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper.

Saute the blanched lardons in a large pan until they release their fat. Remove, leaving fat in pan.

Brown the chicken in the pan, adding more olive oil if necessary. Flame with the brandy. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Add the sliced onions to the pan and saute until tender. Drain the onions and most of the fat from the pan.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the chicken back in the pan. Add the sliced onions, garlic, bay, thyme and tomato.

Pour in the wine and enough stock to cover the chicken. Simmer about 20 minutes until the chicken is tender - or put the chicken in 325 degree oven.

Remove the chicken. Taste for seasoning. Whisk the beurre manie into the pan until the sauce thickens. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan, coat with sauce.

Serve.

Browned onions

Peel the onions. An easy way to do this is to immerse them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then remove them and put them in cold water for another 2-3 minutes. Cut off the root end and squeeze and the onion should pop out.