Today, May 29th, is National Coq au Vin day! "Coq au Vin" (pronounced like Coke wan vah) translates literally to "rooster in wine". It is a chicken dish, traditionally braised in wine with lardons (pork fat) and mushrooms. Garlic is sometimes also included in the mixture.
How did Coq au Vin come about? Coq au Vin is said to date back as early as Julius Caesar and to ancient Gaul. The recipe though, was not documented until the early 20th century. It was made most popular in Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 1961. She also made the dish on her television show on PBS The French Chef. This helped the dish become popular in the United States and is said to be one of Julia Child's signature dishes.Coq au Vin is made usually from rooster meat. Roosters are not typically butchered until they are very old and their meat is almost inedible. It was said that this dish was invented by peasants in France who did not waste any part of an animal. The recipe is said to be a similar of Beef Bourguignon in preparation.
 |
| Coq au Vin-Prepared from Julia Child's Cookbook
Coq Au Vin [Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon]
Feeds 4 to 6 people
A 3- to 4-ounce chunk of bacon
A heavy, 10-inch, fireproof casserole 2 tablespoons butter 2 1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup cognac 3 cups young, full-bodied red wine such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Chianti 1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cloves mashed garlic 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1 bay leaf 12 to 24 brown-braised onions (recipe follows) 1/2 pound sautéed mushrooms (recipe follows) Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons softened butter Sprigs of fresh parsley
1. Remove the rind of and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry. [Deb note: As noted, I'd totally skip this step next time.]
2. Sauté the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned. Remove to a side dish.
3. Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole.
4. Season the chicken. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
5. Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.
6. Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to the simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.
7. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms (recipe follows).
8. Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off the fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.
9. Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (buerre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
10. Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If this dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered. It can now wait indefinitely.
11. Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot enough.
12. Sever from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with spring for parsley.
I refuse to find an "easier" recipe for this. Julia Child way is the only way to go.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment