Coq au Vin

This meal was definitely family inspired. I remember going to Grandma VR's house as a kid for dinner on Sunday. It was always a tasty home cooked meal which usually included pie for dessert! One of my favorites was Grandmas chicken, served with mashed potatoes and corn. And the gravy -  mmmmmmm good!

Well I did not have Grandmas chicken recipe handy so I searched for something else. I found the Coq au Vin ( chicken, onions and mushrooms braised in red wine and seasonings) recipe on the website simplyrecipes.com and it sounded tasty. For the potatoes I turned to my mom. Last year when I was home visiting she made some oven roasted potatoes that were delicious. I gave her a call and the recipe was emailed in minutes. Thanks mom!

No meal is complete without a tasty salad, so you guessed it - Johnny Yoga! Johnny brought the salad along with a bottle of 1998 Caliterra. A Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. Excelente!

Enjoy!

Raspberry Salad
ingredients
baby spinach
walnuts

Gorgonzola cheese

raspberries

raspberry vinaigrette

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Serve on chilled plates









Coq au Vin
 Ingredients
1/2 lb bacon slices
20 pearl onions, peeled, or 1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 lbs chicken thighs and 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)
2 bay leaves
Several fresh thyme sprigs
Several fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp butter
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method
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.

Brown bacon on medium high heat in a dutch oven big enough to hold the chicken, 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, about 10 minutes. 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.)

Spoon off any excess fat. Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs. Add back the bacon. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 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.

 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. 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 parsley and serve.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

1/8 cup olive oil                                

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon minced garlic         

½ teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried basil                  

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried marjoram       

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried dill weed        

½ teaspoon dried thyme

4 large potatoes cut in large chunks (I use red potatoes and leave the skins on)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Stir in potatoes until evenly coated.  Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

Roast for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Put it all together on a big platter, dig in and enjoy.

See you all next Sunday. Cheers!