3588. CHICKEN in RED WINE with ONIONS, MUSHROOMS and BACON: COQ AU VIN

yields 4 to 6 servings


3 to 4-ounce chunk lean bacon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for seasoning
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 leaves
1 bay leaf
12 to 24 brown-braised onions (recipe below)
1/2 pound sauteed mushrooms (recipe below)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons softened butter
Fresh parsley leaves

Brown-braised onions:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
18 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1-inch in diameter
1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper
Medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

Sauteed Mushrooms:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions, optional
Salt and pepper

Brown-Braised Onions: When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Braise them as follows: Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Bake them as follows: Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape and be a nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

 

Sauteed Mushrooms: Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions, if using, with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.
 

 

Remove the rind 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.

In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole. (360 degrees F for the electric skillet.)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

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.

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 a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 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.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off 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.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If the 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 for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Shortly before serving, bring the casserole to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.

 

bacon recipe source: Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One (Alfred A. Knopf, 1995); Sara Moulton, "Foolproof Dishes," Sara's Secrets, Food Network

1342. FRENCH ONION SOUP with BACON

serves 4


3 tablespoons bacon drippings (4 bacon strips)
6 Maui or Vidalia onions (3 pounds/8 cups), thinly sliced
2 large shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup burgundy wine
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 quarts chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sliced baquette, toasted and seasoned
Swiss cheese, grated
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

In a large saucepan over medium heat, fry four strips of bacon until crisp. Discard bacon. Sautè onions and shallots in bacon fat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, wine and oregano. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir frequently until the onions caramelize and are golden brown. Blend in chicken broth. Simmer gently for one hour, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into four ovenproof bowls. Float the croutons on top of soup and sprinkle with grated cheese. Broil until cheese melts. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley, serve immediately.


courtesy of: Tyler Florence | TASTE Magazine, Spring 2007 | Cincy Chic, 116-118 East 13th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

312. BACON-WRAPPED, SHRIMP-STUFFED PRUNES

12 prunes, pitted
1/2 cup Burgundy wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12 shrimp, uncooked
12 macadamia nuts
Dijon mustard
6 lean bacon strips, cut in half

Pit prunes and let soak overnight in wine, bay, soy sauce, and garlic. Peel uncooked shrimp and stuff into prune with a macadamia nut and a dollop of mustard. Wrap in bacon, secure with toothpick and broil until bacon is crisp and shrimp is cooked. Let cool and eat as an appetizer.


courtesy of: Secrets of the Tsil Cafe: A Novel with Recipes, by Thomas Fox Averil. Blue Hen Books, 2002.

151. FILET of BEEF BOURGUIGNON with BACON

serves 6 to 8


1 3-pound filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
8 to 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
3 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick (domestic or wild)

With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, sauté the slices of beef in batches with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the filets from the pan and set aside on a platter.

In the same pan, sauté the bacon on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

With a fork mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.

Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.


courtesy of: Barefoot Contessa / Ina Garten