Coq Au Vin or Chicken In Red Wine Sauce
October 11, 2011
Coq au Vin is a classic dish that has hundreds of variations. When I first started making this dish, years ago, the recipes called for the use of “fat Back” which is pure fat, from the bacon area of the hog, but without any meat. The later recipes replaced the fatback with bacon. My family chooses to leave the bacon out altogether. For this recipe, we will include the bacon, be sure to purchase “thick cut” bacon as it well work better here.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound babyBella or white mushrooms, sliced
2 fryer chickens, cut into 8 pieces each
½ pound bacon, diced
2 cups Chicken stock
2 cups dry red wine such as Burgundy
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole thyme, use fresh if you have it.\Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
¼ oz. brandy
½ cup finely minced parsley
Roux for thickening. 6 tablespoons white flour, cooked in 6 tablespoons butter until golden brown
In a pre heated large frying pan, add the oil, then the onions and garlic. Saute until they are tender. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another two minutes. Remove everything from the pan, and deglaze the pan using ¼ cup of your red wine. Pour this over the onion and mushroom mixture and set aside.
In the same pan, saute the bacon until clear. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Set the bacon aside.
In the bacon fat, sauté the chicken until it is a golden brown on both sides.
Place the chicken and bacon in a large kettle and add the chicken stock, red wine, bay leaves,, thyme, salt and pepper, parsley and brandy. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is tender. This should take about an hour,
Next, add the garlic, onion,mushroom mixture to the chicken. Continue simmering while you make the roux:
When the roux is ready, add it to the chicken, and stir until the juices thicken.
Serve the chicken and sauce over some cooked wide noodles.
Wine Suggestion The remaining Burgundy or an Oregon Pinot Noir
Chefs Secret: Place the bacon in the freezer for a few minutes before you dice it. Bacon is much easier to dice when it is very cold.
Born and raised in the Wine Country of Northern California, William Chaney is a Retired Chef and Wine Connoisseur. During the Holidays, his wife invites any number of friends and family to share the meal, so he often finds himself preparing food for 12 to 15 or more guests. On These occasions he is in the kitchen by 4 a.m., loving every minute of it. Look to his website for information on what wines to serve with each Food, He also offers recipes with wines listed. He splits his time between his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and his home in Wisconsin. He writes about Wines of the world and foods of the world. Visit him at http://WineLoversSecrets.com where you can learn more about wine, and get food recipes. Go there now and sign up for his new letter.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_H_Chaney
Red Wine and Food Pairings
October 4, 2011
Firstly, there are no hard and fast rules regarding wine and food. Wine and food pairings can cause endless debate among experts, let alone beginners. Don’t be afraid to try your own combinations, even if they might provoke upturned noses from your wine snob friends.
There are, however, some widely accepted recommendations for certain dishes. Keep in mind that the key to pairing wine with food is to balance the tastes of both – a delicate dish should be accompanied by a delicate wine and vice versa. You don’t want to overwhelm a wine or a dish by emphasizing one over the other.
If you are unsure about what wine to match with your dinner (or for the more serious enthusiast, what dinner to match with your wine), try out some of these suggestions.
Beef
Protein and fat in beef does an excellent job at neutralizing the heavy, bold tastes of big tannic red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah make a nice match with your grilled beef dishes, as does the Argentinian Malbec. Depending on how long you choose to cook the beef (removing moisture and juicyness), you can move to a softer wine, such as aMerlot.
Chicken
The softer and less intense meats, such as chicken, allow you to use lighter, softer wines, such as a Merlot or a Pinot Noir. However, remember that the overall taste is the key to wine and food pairings – if you are using is big rich sauce with your chicken, don’t let a soft wine be overwhelmed. Bring the pairing up to strength by using a Nebbiolo or a Sangiovese.
Pork
Similar to chicken, pork can be all over the map depending on the overall weight of the dish. Lighter sauces, lighter wines such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a French Gamay orBordeaux. Richer sauces, go for a bolder wine like a Petit Sirah or Nebbiolo.
Game
For most game, a Pinot Noir is the consensus choice. Another nice match for game birds are a Merlot or a Grenache blend.
Fish
The old theory of using only white wines for white meat is no longer stood by. While a nice white can complement a fish dish very well, a light bodied red wine can do the same, if not better. Red wines to avoid using with fish are Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, but many lighter reds can be used successfully with fish. Try a Gamay, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. If the fish is in a bold sauce or the skin has been left on, you can try a Syrah.
Cheese
The belief that red wine does not pair well with cheese seems to grow stronger and stronger. Some cheeses however remain within the acceptable range of red wine. Pinot Noir and Merlot make good matches for harder cheeses. Blue cheese and creamy cheese such as Brie do not have an acceptable red wine pairing anymore (not that it stops everyone from trying).
Dessert
For a sweet after dinner dish, acceptable reds must be light in body and soft on tannins. A slightly chilled Zinfandel works well with light desserts. The exception to the rule might be a rich chocolate dessert, which can often stand up to a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah.
Remember – the key to pairing wine and food is balance. Complement the dish, don’t overwhelm it or fall short of its potency! Find out more about red wine at this red wine guide site!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_G_Henry
Organic Red Wine Pears
November 30, 2010
Find more videos like this on Wine And Hospitality Network
Organic Anjou pears delicately poached in a red wine, orange and ginger liquid then reduced to make a tasteful sauce to drizzle over the pears. A splendid desert to serve with sorbet or ice cream. Stellar Organics makes a Cabernet Sauvignon that is paired well ( some pun intended) with this dish. If you can’t find an organic red wine any cabernet will work just remember that cooking with wine doesn’t mean drinking too much while cooking.
Article Source: wineandhospitalitynetwork.com
New York Steak With Red Wine Cayenne Sauce : New York Steak With Red Wine Cayenne Sauce: Adding Milk & Paprika
September 22, 2010
Milk and paprika should be added to scalloped potatoes before putting them in the oven. Add milk and paprika to the potatoes for New York steak with red wine cayenne sauce with tips from a chef in this free video on cooking and steak recipes.
Duration : 0:1:42
Cooking With Hermann – Pork Medallion W/ Red Wine Sauce
September 12, 2010
In this week’s edition of “Cooking with Chef Hermann,” the Chef will be cooking pork medallions with a red wine sauce. For the complete recipe, log on to www.local-edition.com.
Duration : 0:4:31
