Coq au vin

This recipe is easy (but def. time consuming- 3 hrs start to finish with prep) and oh-so-worth it! I made this on Saturday night and it came out even better than both of the times I tried it in Boston area french restaurants. DELICIOUS! This will be my new fall back recipe for impressing people who come to dinner.

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon slices (get the best bacon you can find/afford, something real thick-like)
20 pearl onions (blanched to help remove the peels easier, trim off ends)
3 lbs chicken breasts, thighs and/or legs, excess fat trimmed, SKIN ON
6 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups red wine (pinot noir, burgundy, or zinfandel are traditional choices, but I wanted to ensure deep flavor and used a cabernet instead)
2 bay leaves
Several fresh thyme sprigs
Several fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 lb button or crimini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 Tbsp butter
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method

1. Blanch the bacon to remove some of its saltiness. Drop the bacon into a saucepan of cold water, covered by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, drain. Rinse in cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the bacon into 1 inch by 1/4 inch pieces.

2. Brown bacon on medium high heat in a dutch oven big enough to hold the chicken (for real- the biggest one you own! I spent over an hour browning chicken in batches- boo!!), about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon, set aside. Keep the bacon fat in the pan. Working in batches if necessary, add onions and chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken well, on all sides, at least 10 minutes on each side. Halfway through the browning, add the garlic and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. (Note: it is best to add salt while cooking, not just at the very end. It brings out the flavor of the chicken.)

3. Spoon off any excess fat in the dutch oven, leaving a little (appx 1T). Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs. Add back the bacon. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken and onions to a separate platter. Remove the bay leaves, herb sprigs, garlic, and discard.

4. Add mushrooms to the remaining liquid and turn the heat to high. Boil quickly and reduce the liquid by three fourths until it becomes thick and saucy (appx 20 mins). Lower the heat, stir in the butter. Return the chicken and onions to the pan to reheat and coat with sauce. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsely.

Serve atop buttered egg noodles, garnish with parsely. Admire. Savor with a glass of wine (no sense in letting the rest of that bottle go to waste)

Friiied chicken (Colonel Sanders watch out!!)

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup hot red pepper sauce
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 1/2 pound chicken, cut into pieces

Directions

House Seasoning, recipe follows

• Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil but canola works too
  

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange (about 1 cup). Season the chicken with the House Seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour. Place the chicken in the preheated oil and fry the chicken, turning once, until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer than white meat. Approximate cooking time is 13 to 14 minutes for dark meat and 8 to 10 minutes for white meat.

House Seasoning:

• 1/8 C paprika
• 1/8 C onion salt
• 1/8 C celery salt
• 1/8 C sage
• 1/8 C garlic powder
• 1/8 C ground allspice
• 1/8 C ground oregano
• 1/8 C chili powder
• 1/8 C black pepper
• 1/8 C basil leaves, crushed
• 1/8 C marjoram leaves, crushed finely

Whip up some biscuits and crack open a cold one; Dinner is served!

Clapshot

Typically served with haggis because IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH IT'S CRAP!

Haggis being gross, I just eat clapshot plain but imagine it would do well with a roast chicken or anywhere potatoes would be boring.

Supplies:

• Rutabaga. Not too big, they get weird in the middle if they're too big. I would recommend 2 medium over 1 huge, but work with what you have
• Potatoes. White, Red, whatever. I think the ones with the skin you can leave on work best, but I'm lazy and that's quite possibly a big factor.
• Garlic. 1-3 cloves.

peel and dice rutabaga and potatoes. Boil some water, throw the garlic and the rutabaga in. 20 minutes later, throw the potatoes in. Give it another 20 or so, I'm not sure you can overcook, but when the potatoes are falling apart you're good.

Add some milk, butter, cheese if you like (scallions! Shallots! get crazy!) and mash by hand. It seems to be technically impossible to mix this electrically, and I've been reading that that's not good for the potato anyway. You could also put it back in the oven and brown the top.

WICKED GOOD WITH PEPPER ON TOP! (black pepper, freshly ground) Parsley would probably be tasty too.

Low fat high fiber and delicious salad thing

I'm eating this by the pound. It's a little drastic on the GI system at first but I'm convinced I'll get over it. Anyhow, it's delicious, interesting and pretty which counts the most. It might be my new go-to for parties and tailgating at polo.

Supplies:

• 1 Kohlrabi. Medium size. Google it, it's a good one to know.
  
• 1 Beet, same size as your kohlrabi, or 2 small ones Golden beets might be prettier in this. I'm undecided.
  
• carrots. Don't be shy
• Kale. A bunch. there is no science to kale, just know that it shrinks way more than you think. Maybe a bunch, or just less than half a bag. Whatever makes your skirt fly up.
• Balsamic vinegar
• Agave or honey
• Flaxseed oil. Optional but adds a delicious nutty yumminess
  

Get a cheese grater if you're cheap, a mandoline or food processor if you're fancy. Grate the carrot, kohlrabi, beet (incidentally, any of these is also delicious atop a real salad and makes beets palatable even though I find them vaguely gross in big pieces)

Steam the kale for 10-15 minutes. strain, rinse with cold water and squeeze the hell out of it. Then put the green lump on your cutting board and chop the shit out of it. Small pieces are key, and you don't want big stems. The big stems are like impossible to digest. I won't tell you how I know (you're welcome)

Mix the kale with the beet, kohlrabi and carrot mixture. Pour some balsamic, some agave and some flaxseed oil on top. I can be no more specific that that, to each their own, etc. Don't overdo it though, you can't take it back!

Toss well.

Go to town.

Eat this!!

This is the bomb cold weather-one pot wonder meal! Just add some other veggies or pots to the pan and roast it up!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup packed roughly chopped fresh sage,
plus whole sage leaves for roasting

3 whole garlic cloves, plus 2 cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

5 Tbs. olive oil

1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 1/2 lb.,
halved horizontally

3 ripe red Anjou pears, halved lengthwise

4 leeks, trimmed, halved
lengthwise and rinsed

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard

1/4 cup heavy cream (or hnh, if you're so inclined)

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.

In a mini food processor, process the parsley, chopped sage, whole garlic, salt, pepper and 3 Tbs. of the olive oil until it creates a fine paste. Spread the mixture on the cut side of one half of the pork loin, then place the other half on top. Tie the roast together with kitchen twine and tuck whole sage leaves underneath the twine. Season the roast with salt and pepper.

In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the pears, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Place the leeks, cut side down, in the pot in a single layer. Set the pork on top and place the pears along the sides of the pot.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the leeks and pears to a platter.

Pour the pan drippings into a bowl and discard all but 2 tsp. of the fat. Warm the reserved fat in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the broth and pan drippings and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the mustard and cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the pork into slices and arrange on the platter. Pass the sauce alongside. Serves 8 to 10.

Delicious Pastel De Choclo

Meatalicious! This is like a protein shake in a casserole dish.

I made this!

• 2 cups chopped onion (I use 2 large onions)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup black olives, pits removed, halved
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 big bag frozen corn, thawed and well drained
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg (not cooked)
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 tsp chili flakes

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet on medium heat.  Add onions and
cook until translucent, about five minutes.

Add beef, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook until meat is browned.

Spread mixture over bottom of a casserole dish.

Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp cumin. Fry in
skillet in remaining oil until browned (note: I boil the chicken
while I'm doing the meat.)

Pull chicken into strips/ bite size pieces.

Place over beef.  Sprinkle over olives and raisins.

Arrange egg slices on top.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Grind corn in the food processor until rough
in texture leaving some large and some small pieces.

Melt butter  in a large saucepan.

Add corn, basil, and milk. Bring to boil, stirring.

Reduce heat to low and simmer stirring frequently
for 5 minutes.

Stir in egg and cook 1 more minute.

Spread corn mixture evenly over the meat.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and chili flakes.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

There is an acidic chilean salad Jeff's mom serves with this.

It's basically sliced onion (put in a colander and salt, then let drain),
tomato and cilantro.  Squeeze some lemon juice on and Bob's
your uncle.

White bean, sausage, chicken and kale soup

Kale was on sale this week. Expect to see more recipes forthcoming.

Whatchoo need:
2-3 Sausages (spicy italian work well here, sweet italian would do)
Bone in skin on chicken breast
Cannelini beans (2 cans) (could also use northern beans)
Onion
Garlic
Rosemary
Crapload of Kale
Optional: Frozen corn, white wine.


Whatchoo do:
1)Cook the chicken
Put the chicken breast in some water (2-3 Qts) and boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a while (hourish). This will be the soup base, and it will also cook the chicken. I would toss in a bay leaf, any old onion parts you have and some BTB or salt. However, last night I realized I had roughly a million quarts of chicken stock in my fridge, so instead of cooking the chicken in water, I cooked it in chicken stock. This stock was flavor fortified and I recommend this technique.

2) Walk away. Seriously. Clean the kitchen or something, no need to do anything while the chicken cooks.

3) when the chicken has been going for an hour ish and is falling off the bone, remove to a plate to cool. Strain the stock through a fine mesh something or other and rinse the pot. Return stock to pot, put on low heat and add Canellini beans and some rosemary if you want. I also added some frozen corn, which worked well but it would be fine without.

4)remove sausage from its casing and crumble into a skillet. Brown sausage on Med-High heat.
When done, add to stock. Give it 5-10 minutes for the sausage to meld, then taste for salt.

5)Chop onion into your favorite shape, and cook in the sausage grease until translucent (note; If there's a ton of grease, pour some off but dont get crazy. This is the sum total of the fat in your soup, live a little) Add some garlic for a minute, then add it all to the soup.

6)Now you have a choice. You can but certainly don't have to deglaze the pan with some white wine and reduce that by half and add to stock or you can skip this step.

7) Stem, wash and chop kale. I leave bigger pieces, but I'm rustic. Once the soup and everything you've added are hot, turn off the burner and add the kale. Stir to submerge everything, let the kale wilt for a couple of minutes then serve.

8) collect praise.